Lavender Fields: Our Song
by Fan-of-Insert-Sues
Summary: Sequel to Strawberry Wine. Please read the first story before this one. Annie's cousin comes home from the funeral of her dear Aunt Liz. She doesn't realize how much her life will change thanks to a family trait that's been passed down to her... MM Kurt
1. Introduction

_(a/n) here we are, seven months down the line from when I had finished Strawberry Wine. I was happening along Gamestop a month ago and I found a copy of Magical Melody, used for twelve bucks. Well I still had my Gamecube and so I bought the game. When I got home, I started to play it and the next thing I know, I'm falling in love with the series all over again. -=sighs=- so here we are, a sequel to Strawberry Wine. I hope it catches your imagination the way Strawberry Wine did. Of course, this will be a self insert/OC story. It will be going into a bit more of a background story with Annie's family, most particularly Aunt Liz. This story takes place a year after SW so we'll see how I'll tie it together...-=scratches nose and walks off=-_

* * *

_Introduction_

I suppose the best place to begin my story would be at... well, the beginning. I don't think that you would believe me. Hell, I have a hard time believing it myself sometimes... I know that what I have been experiencing is no dream though, not when it _feels_ so real. Where can I begin?

The funeral... I'll start there. That was when everything had changed. For my mom, for my aunt and uncle and cousin Jenn, for my family and... especially for me. Aunt Liz had been the bright spot in our family, the single voice that could manage to bring any bickering between the members to a standstill. She was our rock, of that there was no doubt. However, she had taken ill, developing a cancer that spread throughout her body, weakening her... It was such a troubling time for my Aunt Anya to lose her favorite sibling. That was no secret either. My mom Maria, the oldest of the three sisters, never did get along well with her baby sister. The relationship seemed to get even worse the moment Aunt Liz had gotten sick.

Then, three years ago, my cousin Annie had disappeared. She was living down in Virginia, away from the main hub of the family after a fall out she had with her parents years before. We had received word from the authorities that she had gone missing, her and her dog. One morning, she had gone out for a walk and never returned home. Six months later, she was declared dead. We held a funeral for her and my cousin Jay was on his way home from his traveling... He disappeared as well. No one knew what was going on... My Aunt Anya was at her wits' end. Then, about year ago, my aunt called my mom, all excited and crying, saying that my cousins had come home. Both Annie and Jay.

They had come back for Aunt Liz, apparently having heard somehow that she was sick. I vaguely remember going to my aunt's house to see my cousins during their stay. Annie and Jay had been so happy so see me. Out of the entire family, they were easily my favorite cousins. I was an only child and we grew up together, I looked to them as the siblings I never had... They never explained to me what had happened to them and no one seemed to want to talk about it. I thought it was weird for them to have disappeared like that but in the emotions of knowing that they were alive and well, I didn't think much of it at the time.

I should have asked them... I should have found out where they had been, what they were doing there and... why they had gone back. They had come back to the family just to say goodbye. Where they were going, they said, was a special place with special people. It was their home now and they had to go back... I should have asked my aunt what they had meant but they had disappeared after that and Aunt Anya never said a word of what had happened. She seemed to understand something that I didn't. My mom didn't understand and she argued with my aunt, trying to find out why it was that she had let her children go without even an explanation.

Aunt Anya simply said, "When you've experienced the loss of a child, when you feel that you had truly lost them... and you find that they were, they were living and they were happy. You'll understand that it's all right to let go. As long as they're happy..."

My mom couldn't understand and she had called me, telling me that no matter what happened to me, she wanted me to promise that I would always stay in contact with her. I promised her... If only I knew then what would happen to me...

I wish I could make more sense than this but I suppose starting at the funeral is good enough... the day my Aunt Liz was to be buried. I wished I could have asked her while she was alive exactly what her life had been like. What had she done, what had she seen? I would come to find out but not from her... and in place that I had no idea could even be possible.

My name is Dahlia and I am caught between two worlds... I hope that no matter how this turns out, you dear reader, will come to believe my tale. After all, I can barely believe it myself...


	2. A Present from Aunt Liz

_(a/n) Hey thanks for the two reviews! It was only an introduction, lol :)_

_Anyway, I know this isn't exactly the sequel that seemed apparent in the epilogue of SW but I think this story deserves the second spot. It'll be fun! Dahlia is not like Annie, as you'll see throughout the chapters to come. I have an idea on how I would like her character to be so we'll see. Here's the first real chapter! Bear in mind, the chapters will be fairly short at first, about 3-5 pages. I don't have a lot of time to sit and write but I still want to anyway. XD_

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_A Present from Aunt Liz..._

The moment the casket was lowered into the ground, the wailing from my mother began anew. She was leaning on me, clinging to me for support and I did my best to hold her upright. My own tears fell but they were silent tears, I had cried all that I could quite while ago. I felt numb now...

I looked away from the brown casket, not wanting to think that Aunt Liz now lay there. She was no longer there... She had passed on to a better place, I knew that she did. I looked across the way to find my Aunt Anya standing beside my uncle, she was crying silent tears as well. Her reddish brown curls were pulled back into a bun at the nape of her neck, her dark brown eyes looking like liquid pools of chocolate. On her right, my cousin Jenn stood with her husband and her two sons, the sound of her crying outdone by that of my mother.

I suppose it was natural for us to cry, considering how much Aunt Liz had suffered in her sickness, she was finally at peace. Yet, here we were, crying for selfish reasons, wishing she were still here with us... When you loved someone that much though and they have to leave you, it's hard not to be selfish... You missed them so much... It was no different here...

…

Mom had cried the entire way home. I drove her while I listened to her wail and cry, her theatrics becoming unbearable by the time we pulled into the driveway of her home. She had hugged me then and wouldn't let go, crying and crying before I finally managed to get her to calm down. I knew why she cried but I could not cry the way she did. I wondered if she could honestly be my mother sometimes, we were so different from one another. Where she was loud and brash and off the wall, so much like her own mother, I was quiet and soft spoken. I kept to myself most of the time, my emotions were reserved and private... I was a great listener though and I possessed an infinite amount of patience that stemmed from having such an emotional roller coaster of a parent.

When my mom had finally calmed down to the point that her words were coherent, she had asked if there was any way that she could persuade me to stay the night, for her sake...

"Mama," I sighed and shook my head. "You know I have to be at work in the morning. I was lucky enough to get this day off to attend the funeral. I have to leave tonight so I can make the drive back to Boston."

Mom's lower lip trembled, her dark brown eyes filling with unshed tears. She sighed heavily and wiped her cheeks, nodding in agreement. "Aye si nina... I know that, I know. I just can't stand the thought of you being so far away from me. Not right now..."

"Ma, I'm sorry..." I said, reaching out to brush the dark red waves from her eyes. "I would stay but it's hard enough keeping my job in this market. There have been so many cut backs..."

Mom shook her head and patted my hand, "I know sweetie, I know... Just promise you'll call me as soon as you get home ok?"

I smiled at my mom and gave a nod. "I promise Mama..."

She leaned forward to place a kiss on my cheek before she gripped my chin firmly in her hand. She stared at me for a few moments before she kissed my nose. "I love you Li."

I laughed a little and nodded, watching my mom as she pulled away from me. "I love you too Ma."

She studied me a little longer before she got out of the car and made her way to her house. I waited until she got the door unlocked and slipped inside before I put the car into drive and made my way back to the hotel.

…

Once the car was parked, I made my way across the parking lot toward the entrance. I was so tired but I couldn't imagine sleeping tonight. I had a good three hour drive ahead of me, if I was lucky. As I made my way past the sliding glass doors, a flash of yellow caught my eye. I frowned and looked to where I had seen the flash, but nothing was there. Huh... that was weird... Everything in the hotel was done in in shades of browns, reds, tans, and maroons. Seeing a yellow of that shade in this lobby before would have stuck with me but I saw nothing... Hm...

I let it go, giving it up to exhaustion as I made my way past the main desk. The receptionist called to me then, waving to me in earnest as I stopped in surprise.

"Excuse me? Are you Ms. Dahlia?"

A light frown appeared on my face as I started to make my way toward the desk. "Ah... yes, yes I am." I stopped in front of her and tilted my head, my eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Is there something wrong?" I wondered if Mom had called already... Knowing her, she was probably on the phone right now, waiting for me.

The receptionist shook her head and reached down under the counter to pull out a small item wrapped in brown tissue. "No ma'am. This came for you earlier today, a gentleman had dropped it off for you while you were away." She placed the item on the counter and smiled courteously at me. "He said that he was the lawyer to a Ms. Elizabeth and that he had been given instructions to deliver this to you the moment you returned."

My heart began to slam against my chest as I stared at the wrapped package. Elizabeth... That was my aunt's full name... I didn't know she had a lawyer. Had she left a will? The receptionist noticed my stunned silence and her smile faded somewhat. "This... This package is for you, correct?"

I glanced up at her and gave a nod, "Yes, I'm sorry... I just..." I sighed and shook my head. "It's been a long day..." I reached out to take the item and smiled at the receptionist. "Thank you so much for holding it for me."

The receptionist's smile returned and she gave a nod, she seemed relieved to be rid of the item. "Of course, Ms. Dahlia. You are most welcome."

I turned away from the desk and continued on my way to the hallway that led to the elevators. My room was on the third floor of the building, which meant a nice rest in a small room that had a chance of getting stuck between floors... Ah yes, I was claustrophobic. I normally took the stairs in a building that was more than one floor. Today though, today I was too tired to care...

I thumbed the up button to the elevator and waited, my eyes focused on the wrapped item in my hand. While I waited for the elevator, I decided to unwrap the brown tissue from the item, my curiosity was too great at the moment to be concerned of anything else. What had Aunt Liz left for me?

I pulled the tissue from the item and stared at the cover of a book, the cover was a very pretty shade of lavender that bore engravings of flowers and music notes. Frowning lightly, I studied the blank cover before opening it and flipping through the pages. It was completely blank. A journal? My aunt had left me a journal? Somewhat dumbfounded, I continued to flip through the book until I came to the very last page. On the page, written in neat, cursive, was a note:

_Li,_

_Every story has a beginning and an end. Mine has ended... but it continues with you. People forget many things. Kind thoughts, faith, love... This world is slowly forgetting the most important things needed for life. However, they are forgetting in another world as well... A world that means more to me than anything else. Jay and Annie were able to help some of them to remember... There is another place though, another place that is crying for help. I have no children, no line continues with me... Yet you, Dahlia... There is something in you that you do not realize is there. Something that will change your life as it did mine._

_As you are reading this, it means I have passed on from this world and there has been no one to take my place of permanence. I have a dear friend who is taking care of things for me in the mean time but she is only a temporary choice. All of the signs have pointed to you and so I leave this journal in your hands. You will see that something has been forgotten in the world that I know... In a place that has a history... How could they forget? I can't answer that. All I know is that, she is gone now... You are the key to bringing her back. You will be torn, as I had been years before. You will meet many people, make many friends, possibly even find a love that Annie and Jay were blessed with. _

_The only difference between you and I, Li, is that you will have a choice in the matter. The moment she is brought back to her rightful place, you will have a choice. No matter the choice you make, just think of your happiness. It's all right to feel selfish at times, it's only human nature. I can only hope that whatever your choice, you will be happy. _

_Take the coming adventure to heart, keep an open mind and remember your cousins. They will be there as well. Your path will be very different from theirs', you will be in a place that is between here and there. You will be taking her place and mine... I hope you'll be strong enough to handle it. I know you will mind wise... Emotionally? I cannot say. You were always hard to read Li... I do love you though. Make me proud, I'm trusting you on this one._

_Aunt Liz_

I studied the note left by my aunt, studied the confusing words. What was she talking about? I had no idea... She mentioned Jay and Annie though. Was this place she spoke of the place that Annie and Jay had gone back to? I was so confused, so dazed, that when the elevator dinged and the doors opened, I simply walked on without a second glance.

If I had looked then, I would have stopped for sure... I guess it was meant to happen. The moment I went to step on the elevator, my foot met with nothing but air. I gasped in surprise as I finally looked away from the book and down into a swirling vortex of light and clouds. I stumbled, trying to catch myself on the edges of the elevator door, but a flash of yellow caught my eye. I looked to the right of me and saw a little person. At least, it seemed to be a person. It's green hair and pointed ears told otherwise...

"You're the one!" It spoke, a tiny voice that sounded too sweet for words. "You're the one!" It looked like a little elf or something. It was dressed in a yellow and had a little yellow hat on its head that bore a tiny, white poof. "Come! Come quickly! There isn't much time!"

I could barely get out a word before it reached out to grab my free hand and pulled me toward the vortex. My scream was all that could be heard as I fell into the vortex, the little elf creature holding onto my hand the entire way...


	3. Welcome Goddess

_(a/n) Thanks for the reviews! I'm so glad people are so open to this sequel! I hope it'll be fun for y'all :D _

_Anyway, here's the next chapter. It's still setting the plot and again the chapters are short. I can only write so much in a certain time limit. -=sighs and shakes head=- hope you like it._

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_Welcome Goddess..._

I fell and fell and fell... It seemed endless. All that surrounded me were swirling clouds and light. Every so often I would catch glimpses of a silhouettes beyond the clouds. A glimpse of a face, a leg, an arm... They were people, every single one of them falling through this strange vortex. Some were falling up, some were falling sideways, some diagonally, they were falling in so many different directions. I had no idea what was happening, to them or to me. We were all falling from someplace to someplace but... where were we going? Were we heading to the same place?

I noticed quickly that I was the only one who was falling downwards though. None of the people who fell around me seemed aware of my presence as I was of theirs'. Did they not see the others? Were they not aware? I instinctively knew that I was the only one aware of these many bodies passing to and fro in this strange swirling vortex. Whoever these people were, I knew that they were far away from their homes...

At some point along the journey, the little elf creature had released my hand and disappeared. I hadn't even noticed until it was too late. I had begun to tumble, head over heels. I was flipping over and over until I I couldn't tell which way I was falling anymore. I was so dizzy but somehow I had managed to hold onto Aunt Liz's journal. It remained firmly clutched against my breast, as if it were the only lifeline that I had.

I squeezed my eyes shut as I continued to tumble through this strange vortex, ignoring the dizziness, the nausea... Finally, blessed blackness overwhelmed my senses and I slipped away into unconsciousness...

…

_Falling..._

_Falling..._

_Falling..._

**Stop!**

I gasped in surprise, my eyes bursting wide open as I found myself looking down into the face of a statue. I was hanging upside down, nearly nose to nose with a statue of a very beautiful woman, whose face was gazing up towards me. I stared into the stone eyes of the woman, who stared blankly in return. The eyes were lifeless and dull of course, but I had this nagging feeling that this wasn't the way she was supposed to look...

An intricate pattern wove itself from the center of her forehead toward her temples. I studied her face with interest for a moment. A breath, maybe two, exhaled past my lips and then there was a flash of bright light. I shut my eyes against the brightness but it did not cease in stopping the searing pain that began to make itself known on the center of my own forehead. I cried out in protest and squirmed away, trying to break free of the force that was holding me aloft.

The searing pain continued for a heartbeat more and then, as quickly as it began, it stopped. A soft whimper escaped my lips as my head began to pound, the sudden headache that now began from the strange light was beginning to do a number on my senses. I was still hanging upside down above the statue of the woman but whatever force that held me aloft had finally decided that I had hung around long enough. With a gasp, a surprisingly strong gust of wind slammed against me, throwing me back. I flipped over and landed butt first onto the banks of a nearby stream.

I groaned, my head was pounding, my body was trembling and the worst part was... I had no idea what happened, where I was, or why I was here. I reached up to rub my forehead, feeling a slight tingle from where the terrible pain had been.

"Look! Look! She's here!"

I dropped my hand and looked around me, hearing the tiny voice that spoke and recognizing it as the elf creature I had seen before I fell into the vortex. My eyes settled down on the little elf dressed in yellow, its smile was large as it raised a tiny hand and waved at me. "Hi! I'm Carlos!"

Two other elf creatures were standing beside the one who called himself Carlos. They were dressed in red and blue and looked identical to Carlos save for the color choices. They smiled at me as well and waved their tiny hands in hello.

"I'm Arthur!" The elf in red stated, there was an air of authority about him, as if he was the designated leader of the group.

"And I'm Billy, yeah!" said the elf in blue, his grin was large as he studied me, his pointed ears twitching every so often.

"You're Dahlia, yeah?" asked Carlos, taking a few skipping steps toward me and stopping beside me. I simply stared at him, all words had been stripped from my mind. All I could so was let out an odd croaking noise in response. I was completely overwhelmed by everything that had happened thus far and all I could so was sit there on the muddy banks of a stream and stare at this elf.

"Of course, it's her," said Arthur, moving over to stand beside his friend in yellow. "She looks like Liz Liz!" He pointed to me, more specifically my face, and gave a nod. "She has Liz Liz's nose and her mouth! She even has the same mark on her neck." He hopped up onto me and slapped a tiny hand against the right side of my neck. My birthmark... How did he know that I bore the same birthmark as Aunt Liz? It was just a tiny mark on my neck, a simple little brown mark that a lot of people mistook for a hickey...

"I don't..." I backed away from the elf, which only succeeded in getting even deeper in the stream and soaking up the black pantsuit that I still wore. Had it been only several hours since the funeral? "How do you know my name? How do you know my aunt?" The questions were pouring forth now that I had found my voice and they didn't seem to want to stop. "What are you? Where am I?"

The little elves seemed confused at my questions and they looked at one another for a moment. Carlos was the one who took a step forward and gestured to himself and then the surrounding trees. "We're harvest sprites! You're by the Goddess Spring in Flower Bud Village. Liz Liz was a good friend of the Harvest Goddess. She told us you would come to help us save the Harvest Goddess."

"The... Harvest Goddess?" I stared at Carlos, the look on my face of obvious confusion.

"Here it is!" Billy had stumbled forward, carrying the lavender journal that seemed much too large for him to carry alone. I must have dropped it when I was falling through that vortex... "She has Liz Liz's journal! She must be the one!"

I gasped and shook my head, moving out of the stream to reach out and grab the book from the little sprite before he hurt himself. He gave it to me with a smile and I sat down on the green grass, the butt of my pants completely soaked. I didn't pay it any mind as I opened the journal to the first page. Where before it was blank, now there was a familiar handwriting working its way across the page:

_I've finally reached Flower Bud Village. After all that I had heard from Lydia about this particular town and its history, I could not wait to see the sights. From what I understand, Gotz had trained here to become a carpenter. It gives me butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it. Gotz is a carpenter in a little place called Mineral Town that rests far away from this sleepy town. He had been born here and was raised here by his father, a man named Woody. I'm surprised that Lydia was so willing to divulge so much detail regarding that man. I guess my twenty questions did little to help... But still, I had no idea that a single glance at someone could take my breath away. I wondered if this feeling meant something? I shouldn't read to much into it and yet... _

_Lydia said that this town was a very musical place, every month there would be some kind of festival celebrating one thing or another. No festival was complete without music. I think I'm going to like it here..._

The first page ended there and I flipped to the next page, expecting to see more writing but it was as blank as ever. That was Aunt Liz's handwriting... was this her journal? And who was this Lydia and Gotz?

The harvest sprites had been watching me the entire time I was reading and I looked at them, tears welling in my eyes. "You knew my Aunt Liz... You must know why I'm here, right?"

The sprites looked at one another once again before the one in blue who had the journal, Billy, moved closer to me and reached up to touch my forehead. The tingling on my forehead turned to warmth at the sprite's touch and I winced, my head still hurt. "You're here to help us save the Harvest Goddess, you're here to help the people of Flower Bud Village remember. You're here to help watch the passageway between this reality and others. You're the new Harvest Goddess now until our Goddess wakes up."

My mouth dropped at those words as I stared at the little sprite, my heart was pounding so hard, the blood was roaring so loudly in my ears that I could barely hear them. The harvest sprites smiled at me as one and gave a bow to me, the warmth on my forehead grew even worse and my headache began to numb my senses...

"_Welcome Goddess!"_

I let out a cry as my headache turned even worse, the searing pain on my forehead blinding my vision. Welcome indeed... Welcome to a world that I had no knowledge of and among strange sprites that were a little too cheerful for my liking at the moment. I shook my head, mumbled something about a mistake, and then I fell forward, my breath easing out in a relaxed sigh. Ah... blissful blackness...


	4. It Wasn't a Dream

_(a/n) Yay! More reviews! –huggles her readers tight- I love you guys! :D _

_Now on to the story!_

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_It wasn't a Dream…_

"Miss?"

Something was pushing against my shoulder, a few gentle taps that were trying to get my attention. Unfortunately, they did…

"Miss, are you ok?" It sounded like a man, a very anxious man that sounded close to falling apart. I groaned in response to the push against my shoulder and tried my best to move away. All I did was succeed in falling to the side and the man had to brace me with a firm hand so I wouldn't hit the ground. "Miss, what happened to you?"

I said nothing in response, I simply opened my eyes and searched my surroundings. There were no strange harvest sprites, no statue of a goddess, no forest or streams… I was sitting on the floor of the elevator I had been meaning to take in the first place. Had it all been a dream?

I glanced up at the man that held me with a firm hand, he looked like an employee of the hotel. He stared down at me in concern, studying me as if he were expecting me to fall again. I shook my head and held a hand to my head, feeling a dull ache on my forehead. Of course, I must have passed out… There was a reason why I didn't like enclosed spaces and this was added to the list. I gently pushed the man's hands away as I struggled to get to my feet. He leaned forward and grabbed my upper arms, helping me to feet anyway with barely a grunt.

I gave a weak smile and sighed heavily, nodding as he moved away from me. "I'm fine," I said, my voice coming out in a slight husk. I cleared my throat and tried that smile one more time, it was a little better. "I'm claustrophobic… I thought I could handle this elevator but apparently that wasn't the case…"

The man frowned lightly in response to that and shook his head. "Miss, you really should avoid situations like this. Know you limits before you take on something that affects you like this…" He kept a hand on my arm as he took a step back, glancing at the open elevator doors. "What floor are you on? I'll help you back you back your room."

I told him my room number and allowed myself to be escorted to my hotel room. We took the stairs to be safe, silence was our companion the entire way. At my room, the man opened the door for me with a master key he had on his person. "Here we are Ms. Dahlia," he said, pushing the door open and looking at me in concern. "Try to get some rest and please… stay away from the elevators."

I smiled at the man and gave a nod, "Of course, thank you kindly."

The man shook his head in reply as he reached into his uniform coat and pulled out a familiar journal with a lavender cover. "It was no trouble Miss. Here, you had dropped this when you had passed out. You might what to hold onto that more carefully." He handed me the journal that my Aunt Liz had left for me. My heart nearly stopped at the sight of it but I took the book and thanked the man again. He simply wished me goodnight before turning and walking up the hallway. I closed the door behind him, my eyes studying the lavender cover with unease. It was only a dream… It had to be…

I would have opened the journal, just to assure myself that it was as blank as I remembered it but I decided against it. I had to change my clothes, pack and head out on the road. I had to be at work in the morning and dwelling on a strange dream would not help me to move faster…

…

The drive back to Boston was blessedly uneventful but very long. I had called my mom just before I left the hotel, just to assure her that I was on my way home and that I would call her as soon as I got in the door. The rental car wasn't anything fancy but it had great gas mileage so it helped with the little funds I had. The highways were filled with cars, a usual sight to see when heading towards that big city by the cape.

Throughout the entire drive, my mind kept going back to that strange dream. Those weird sprites and that statue, staring up to the sky with such a sad look on her face… Several times I had glanced down at the lavender journal that rested in the passenger seat beside me. I was sure that the entire thing had been a dream… and yet…

A blinking light on the speedometer indicated that I was low on gas, the gauge was sinking down to a quarter of a tank. Sighing heavily, I pulled off of the highway and into one of the many large rest stops that were stationed on the sides of this major thruway. I parked outside of the rest stop that bore the logos of many different types of fast food. As if on cue, my stomach let loose a rather large growl. I sat there for a few moments debating if I should grab a quick bite. The painful reaction my stomach gave in response was answer enough and so I grabbed my purse and the journal before I got out the car. I'd get a hamburger or something, fill the tank, and move on. I only had an hour left of the drive and I wanted to get at least a few hours sleep…

I stretched my legs for a quick moment, trying to get the feeling back into my legs and help my jeans to fit a little better. Apparently, housekeeping had not read the instructions on washing jeans. They felt tighter than they should have. I shook my head and went inside the building, heading toward the ladies' restroom to wash my hands. These rest stops weren't the greatest in cleanliness so washing my hands first would be ideal before eating anything.

In the bathroom, there wasn't a single woman present. The stalls were all empty save for the one at the very end. It was locked tight and I could make out the tips of pointed, black boots. Frowning lightly at the slight emptiness of the restroom, I hurried to one of the sinks to wash my hands. Something felt odd… Tucking the journal under my arm, I rolled up the sleeves to my thin blouse and proceeded to washing my hands. Not shortly after, there was a squeaking of hinges and the sound of clicking heels against tile. I glanced into the mirror and saw a woman with very long, wavy blonde hair walking toward the sink next to me. She was oddly dressed, the black cloak that adorned her slender shoulders was very out of place in area like this. She would have fit in quite nice in Salem.

The woman pulled back her purple sleeves and held her hands up before the mirror. The hair on the back of my neck stood up as the woman glanced at me. She had the most interesting color eyes I had ever seen. They were a fierce shade of ruby, so very pretty. I was sure they would have been contacts if I hadn't noticed the slight movements of her pupils. They were real…

The woman smiled at me, a smile that sent a shiver of slight fear up my spine. "You really shouldn't stare at people… It's rude."

I felt the fierce heat creep up into my cheeks and I mumbled my apologies, resuming in washing the soap from my hands that I had forgotten. This strange woman had completely stunned me. I could feel her eyes on me and I caught her glance in the mirror. She was still smiling but she hadn't washed her hands. A moment passed before she chuckled and shook her head. "You're a great deal quieter than your cousins."

That caught me off guard and I turned to look at her, my eyes growing wide. "My… cousins?"

"Annie and Jay. They're the only members of your family that I'm familiar with… aside from your Aunt Liz..." She trailed off at that, as if the memory of my aunt was painful to her in some way. I could've sworn I saw tears welling in her eyes but she caught me staring at her. She cleared her throat and shook her head, her blonde waves shifting about her shoulders. "I have to say, you do resemble your Aunt Liz greatly. Of course, from the looks of it, you've inherited more than just her looks."

"Wh-what?" I was so dumbfounded, all I could do was stand there and gape at the strange blonde.

The woman laughed and reached out to poke a finger against my forehead. I cried out from the pain that followed suit and moved to take a step away from her. She grabbed my hand and turned me toward the large, soap stained mirror. "You haven't notice yet have you? Look at your skin."

I looked at my forehead and began to feel faint. There, forming between my eyebrows, was a light purple mark. It was just a tiny little mark that was shaped like a tear drop, barely visible, but I knew otherwise. That mark was never there before and never had I seen a bruise a shade of lavender… I squeaking noise escaped from my throat as I shook my head, recognizing the little tear drop mark as the center of the intricate markings on the statue's own forehead. It couldn't be…

"It was… it was just a dream…" I said in a faint voice, my heart was beginning to pound hard against my chest. I was so shocked that I didn't notice the woman had taken my aunt's journal and opened it to the first page. I glanced down at it and caught the familiar entry. Flower Bud Village…

"Oh, it was no dream, believe you me. It's only going to get worse from here if you don't learn how to control your powers."

I looked at the blonde and shook my head, completely dazed. "What? My powers?"

The woman closed the journal and passed it back to me. "You've inherited a very special gift from your Aunt Liz and with it came a responsibility that I've been caring for. You're not ready for it yet and you won't be ready until you learn proper control."

I took the book back, studying the intricate music notes and flowers bordering the edges of the cover. "I don't… understand… What did my Aunt Liz want me to do?"

"Didn't you listen to the sprites before you passed out? Your Aunt Liz gave you your task to complete. If it's not completed within the year, you will be the one to take the Harvest Goddess' place, permanently. You wouldn't want that to happen."

My heart dropped, the memory of the statue replaying in my mind's eye. That was the Harvest Goddess? It all really happened? I was so confused that I could barely say a word in reply to what she had said. What was happening? What did my Aunt Liz know of? What did she have control over?

The woman seemed to notice my troubled gaze and she sighed heavily. "Look, Dahlia was it? Your aunt was a good close friend of mine and she made me promise to make sure that you would complete this task. You have to make sure that little village comes alive again. They've completely forgotten about their Goddess. That is the worst thing to happen to a guardian of that reality. It's up to you to make sure that they remember and remember well. If not, then you will be the one to take her place as the Goddess of that village. Trust me when I say this, if you want to keep your life the way it was before any of this happened, you _have_ to make the townspeople remember. You _have_ to help them."

"B-but… how?" I asked, clutching the book close against my breast. "How can I do that? I had no idea that my Aunt Liz…" I shook my head, reaching up to rub the tiny mark that was now present between my eyes. I winced at the pain that followed. "I have no knowledge about this place in any way or form… This was the first I have ever heard of… different realities…"

"Annie and Jay are in that reality," she said, reaching out to the mirror and tapping against the glass. "They're not in that village but they're in the same reality. They know that reality and they know its Goddesses well." The mirror began to ripple and a familiar vortex appeared behind the glass surface. "I suggest you go there, if only to see them. They might be able to help you… They are your family."

I stood there for a moment, my mind whirling with questions. She noticed my hesitation and gave a quick shake of her head. "This is going to be a one way ride. You don't have control of your powers and you can't keep going back and forth between realities whenever you blackout. It's going to leave a rift that won't be able to be closed. I'm sealing the vortex once you reach the village and your powers will be sealed along with it."

I looked at her, my curiosity outweighing my fear. Annie and Jay were there, this was the special place they had spoken of when they had last been here. I would be able to see them again, to see how they were doing. Were they happy? What kind of lives were they living? It must have been a hard decision for them at the time, to choose between staying there and staying with the family. I could understand now why Aunt Anya didn't speak of it. She was probably aware that she wouldn't see her son and daughter again… I took in a breath and decided. I wanted to see exactly what my Aunt Liz had wanted me to do. She said that she trusted me to do this. I didn't want to let her down…

I looked at the woman and gave a small smile. "I guess I'll have to do this…" I suppressed my fear and gave a nod. "Thank you… What is your name?"

The woman merely laughed, a laugh that sent that unease through me. She was pretty scary now that I thought about it, creepy was a good word for her. "I thought you had read it… If you didn't catch it then it's nothing to mull over. I'm known as the Witch Princess." She flipped back her blonde waves and waved a hand, a sudden force wrapping around me and lifting me up into the air. "Have a fun trip!" She laughed, ignoring my sudden protests as she waved her hand again and I was flying straight through the mirror and into the vortex…

…

_Falling…_

_Falling…_

_Falling…_

**Splash!**

I had landed in one of the streams that surrounded the little hill where the statue of the Goddess rested. I groaned as I struggled to my feet, trying my best to keep my aunt's journal away from the water. I looked around the familiar sight, feeling almost relieved in seeing the Goddess still there and unharmed.

"She's back! She's back! Li Li's back!" A familiar tiny voice caught my ear and before I could move, a little yellow blur had tackled into me. "I knew you'd come back! I knew you wouldn't leave us alone, yeah!"

I gasped at the surprising force the little sprite held me with but I managed a laugh, a strange sense of relief filling me. Why was I feeling so comfortable all of a sudden? Carlos looked up at me with large dark eyes, his smile was huge as he moved away and started bouncing from one foot to another. "We were worried Li Li! You disappeared, yeah!"

"I'm sorry Carlos…" I said, feeling bad that the little sprite had worried about me. "I had to get some answers first… This is all new to me."

Carlos simply smiled and nodded as if he understood everything I was speaking of. He probably did for all I knew…

"Who is this?" I blinked in surprise and looked over to find someone walking up the single path that led away from this little forest. Sprinting ahead of this person were two familiar sprites clad in red and blue, Arthur and Billy. They didn't tackle me like Carlos had but I could tell that they were relieved to see me back. I smiled at them as I moved out of the stream, my jeans now completely wet.

The person walked into the clearing and stopped several feet from me. I stared at this person, it was hard to tell if this person was a man or a woman. They were dressed in a style that could be described as western. A brown cowboy hat sat at a jaunty angle on a head of chin length hair that was a shade of light purple. A large red, purple, pinkish striped poncho covered any defining qualities from view, which only made it more frustrating in trying to figure this person out. All I could tell is that they were a very pretty man or a very handsome girl and at the moment their blue eyes were glaring at me. "Who are you?"

"This is Dahlia!" Carlos said, hopping up and down with barely contained excitement. "She's here to help wake the Harvest Goddess up!"

Arthur looked up at me and smiled, pointing a tiny hand to the cowboy. "That's Jamie!" Oh, how quaint. A completely unisex name…

The person named Jamie took in the sight of me before those blue eyes focused on the faint mark on my forehead. Those eyes went wide and Jamie took a step forward, clenching both hands into fists. "It… It can't be… You bear the beginning mark of a Goddess… B-but how?" Another step forward and Jamie shook a fist in my direction. "Don't think… Don't think you'll ever take her place! I'll wake her up before that will ever happen! I swear it!" Jamie glared at me for a moment longer before turning and running back up the path.

I simply stood there, completely surprised by what that person had just accused me of. Taking her place? I wasn't going to take her place, I was here to wake her up! And I only had a year to do it in...

"Poor Jamie…" Billy's tiny voice broke through my troubled thoughts and I glanced down at the sprites. Billy shook his head and turned to face me. "Jamie doesn't understand that this village can't be without a Goddess, yeah."

"You're the temporary Goddess until our Harvest Goddess wakes up," said Arthur, looking up at me with a determined look on his face. "You'll help us now, Dahlia yeah? Are you going to go away again?"

All three of the harvest sprites looked at me as one, their dark eyes pleading and their pointed ears drooping. I stared down at those sad faces and then looked to the statue on the hill, also looking as sad as can be. My heart tore at the sight and I took in a breath to calm my beating heart. Annie and Jay… They'd have to wait for now. I'd find them but only after I helped this village to get their Goddess back. I looked down at the sprites and smiled, hoping that they could see my sincerity. I gave a nod, holding Aunt Liz's journal close. "I'll help you Arthur. I promise that I'll do all I can to wake the Goddess up."

The sprites let out a chorus of hoorays and all three of them tackled me at once. I fell back in surprise, nearly landing in the stream again. I laughed though, feeling considerably happier since my Aunt Liz had passed away. I would be doing something to help the people and place that she loved so much. That was something to be happy about…


	5. Star Drop Pond

(_A/n) I know that my updates are always few and far between, I do apologize. Life is life after all -=shrugs=- But I have been playing MM and I love it! Kurt is easily my favorite and Jamie brings a good second. (Don't ask me why I love them moody.) I only have Kurt at 4 hearts but he is becoming so friendly and open! -=squeals=- I wish he had more heart events... Ah well I'll make my own. :D _

_I had loved him in the original Save the Homeland and wished how you could play a girl in that game. Hee, guess Natsume listened pretty well huh? Thanks for reviews!_

* * *

_Star Drop Pond..._

"This way! This way Li Li!"

"O-oh, all right! Just don't push me! This path is a bit rocky..."

I was making my way very carefully down the path that led away from the forest that was called, appropriately enough, the Forest of Streams. The nearby trees were a mix of green and pink, their leaves dotted with pink blossoms. The sun was shining and the weather was cool. Was it spring here in this reality as well? Maybe this reality and mine coincided with one another in some strange way... My curious thoughts aside, the path led out of the forest and across a wooden bridge. The path continued down the side of the mountain but I could see that if one decided to chance climbing higher up the mountain, there was a slight trail covered in all manner of brush and small boulders that led further up. The sprites decided it would be safer to avoid that trail for now and continue down the mountain path, for which I was grateful.

Carlos and Billy were alternating between pulling and pushing at my legs in their haste to get me down the path. Arthur was further ahead, occasionally glancing back at me to ensure that the others were helping me along. As we made our way down the dirt path, I noticed a worn, wooden sign that pointed three different ways: back the way we had come, further up to a trail that led up to the mountain proper, and a well walked path leading down to what appeared to be a village. The sign that pointed further down read: _Flower Bud Village._

_So this is the village... _My thoughts were cut short as we proceeded down the path to the village proper. It wasn't a village, it felt like a ghost town. There were several buildings clustered in one area that made it seem to be the village center and yet... I couldn't help but feel the sadness that drifted across this lonely place... I walked on ahead of the sprites, clutching my aunt's journal against my chest while trying my best to keep the strap of my purse from slipping off my shoulder. We were beside a large ranch, the land was surrounded by fence that was painted a light shade of lavender. As we walked along the path, I could see the house was painted the same shade of light lavender... I had a strong feeling as to who lived there...

My thoughts seemed to call the very person I was thinking of because Jamie came right around the corner of the house, lugging what appeared to be several bag of seeds. He... she... Jamie caught sight of me and those piercing blue eyes flashed with anger. "You're still here?" Those blue eyes continued to glare at me as Jamie walked toward the front door of the lavender house. "No one wants you around here, go back to where you came from... Idiot..." Jamie continued to grumble while disappearing into the house, the front door slamming closed. I winced at the sound and looked back at the sprites, unsure of what to make of that welcome. Well, it seemed I made a new enemy all ready...

"C'mon Li Li," Arthur said, reaching out to take hold of my hand and began to pull me away from Jamie's ranch. "Don't worry about Jamie, yeah? We have to get you to the pond."

The other two sprites jumped with excitement and proceeded to resume pushing me through the town. Confusion settled within me as I had no choice but to follow the sprites. "Pond? What pond?"

Carlos looked up at me and gave a wide grin, his green hair bouncing with each step he took. "You'll see, yeah! It's so pretty and just perfect for you!"

They continued to pull me through the village proper and I was so caught up with trying to keep up with the little sprites that I was barely watching where I was going. A moment or two later, I crashed into something that had been moving in the opposite direction. I fell back in surprise, the journal falling from my grasp and toppling a few feet down the dirt road. I began to stammer out an apology but it was quickly lost as I found myself staring into a pair of very deep, brown eyes. They met mine for just a heartbeat and they seemed to focus for just a moment on me before suddenly looking around in confusion. The brown eyes belonged to a young man who appeared to be a year or two older than myself. He was tall, even I could tell that from my seat on the ground. He wore an interesting pair of green camouflage pants that appeared to be tucked into a pair of green boots. A black vest adorned his torso, the vest bearing only a single white stripe on his left side. Gloves adorned a pair of strong hands that were currently held out to the air, as if he had been about to help me up. He had well chiseled arms, a single orange and yellow arm band was tied around his left upper arm. He had brown hair that was styled straight up to a spiky/wavy do, a green camouflage bandana appeared to keep the hair from falling in his face. Oh my... his face... he was a handsome one, I couldn't deny that.

All ready I could feel the heat rising into my cheeks as I watched the man searching the area around me. Why did I get the feeling that he couldn't see me? I looked at the sprites in question and they appeared to be as confused as I was as they watched the man looking around in confusion. Apparently, the man must have seen me, if only for a brief moment, because he continued to look around, the frustrated look on his face growing as he glanced up the road and then back. As Billy ran to get my aunt's journal and then back to me, the man stared at the spot where I was still sitting on the ground. He looked really confused now and he stared at the spot for some time, as if trying to focus on something even while the sprites were trying to get me to my feet.

"C'mon Li Li! Don't worry about him, he can't see us." Carlos was pulling my free hand while Billy and Arthur were pushing me from behind. I couldn't help but glance back at the brown haired man as he stood there in the middle of the road, a puzzled look still on his handsome face...

…

_I couldn't be losing it can I?_

He stared at the spot where he had seen the woman fallen. He could have sworn he had bumped into someone on the path... He remembered the soft gasp of surprise, the sound of her as she stumbled back and fell onto the ground. For a split second, he had caught sight of copper brown waves falling about a lightly tanned face as she looked up at him in surprise. It was when those pair of eyes had locked with his own that the image seemed to burn into his memory. Her eyes were such a beautiful shade of lavender...

He had been about to help her up when all of a sudden, she was gone. There was nothing there but well packed dirt. He just couldn't understand it, what had happened just now? Was he hallucinating? Had he seen a ghost? He knew of the old stories, how much magic this place had held a long time ago. In a time when the Harvest Goddess had been remembered and celebrated, there were stories of people having seen the Goddess. The stories ranged from person to person but one thing remained constant: she would disappear without a trace if ever seen when she did not wish to be seen.

Running a hand through his brown hair, he groaned and shook his head in frustration. What was wrong with him? Thinking of old legends... He must be working too hard and not taking enough breaks. Pushing the image of those lavender orbs from his mind, he turned on his booted heel and continued on his way to the Moonlight Cave...

...

"Why couldn't that man see me?" I understood why he couldn't see the sprites, they were magical beings after all. However, I was still human, I still felt my heart pumping and could feel the blood roaring through my veins. I didn't feel any different...

I had been following the sprites along several dirt roads and over wooden bridges. I had the feeling that we were heading west but the roads were so winding I couldn't tell for sure. We were heading off the main road finally and following a little path that led into another forest. This one was just as beautiful as the Forest of Streams but there was something about the trees here... It seemed that wherever I walked, the branches seemed to try to reach out to me, their emerald leaves and pink blossoms reaching and not quite touching. Unlike the Goddess Spring, this place felt a little more... ethereal to me. I wasn't paying much attention to the sprites, I walked on ahead of them as the sight of a small body of water caught my eye.

Arthur was the one to answer my question as I continued on ahead of him, my body moving as if it were possessed. "A lot of humans can't see us yeah? You are the Goddess for now until our Goddess awakens and that means you are not the human you were."

"Not the human I was?" I didn't look at Arthur as the sight of the pond seemed to be pulling something within my soul. "I don't understand... How can I not be human when I feel perfect-" I stopped in surprise at the shore of the pond, my heart giving a funny little leap as the surface of the pond grew completely still at my presence. I kneeled down at the bank of the pond and leaned forward, the sight of my reflection in the mirror-like surface nearly making me faint in surprise. "Wh-what's going on...?"

Staring back at me was my own reflection, I looked the same except... the faint little mark on between my brows had grown a tiny bit. It wasn't much but I could see that the teardrop was joined by a tiny hint of lavender on either side. I couldn't make out the shape of it but it was growing. I was so engrossed by the mark on my forehead that I didn't notice Carlos walking up beside me. I felt a tiny hand on my arm and I glanced at him, seeing that he was pointing at my reflection. "You are becoming a Goddess now..."

I glanced at my reflection once more and finally noticed that my eyes... my eyes were different. How could I not notice them the first time? They were no longer dark brown but... but lavender... I shook my head in confusion, not sure as to how exactly it could have happened. I was a rational woman, I didn't believe in magic before this entire ordeal. Yet now? Now some unknown force was changing the very make up of my genes. I was so dumbfounded by all that had happened so far I wasn't aware of my hand reaching out to touch the surface of the still pond. Something was calling to me, that mysterious something that had been calling to me the moment we entered this forest. The moment my fingers came in contact with the water, a bright flash of light erupted. It surrounded me, a strong warmth beginning to envelope my hand and spreading quickly up my arm and toward the rest of my body. I gasped as the warmth completely overtook me and I closed my eyes as a gentle melody began playing. It sounded like the plucking of strings... a little flute was playing in time with the plucking strings... It was such a sad melody...

A gust of wind nearly knocked me off my feet but I heard a distinguishable thump and looked to see that Billy had dropped my aunt's journal beside me. It had flipped open of its own accord and Aunt Liz's familiar handwriting was working its way across the page:

_Star Drop Pond... I had no idea that such a place could make such beautiful music! Everywhere I turn I can feel some hint of music reaching my very soul! The grass, the flowers, the trees, the very pond itself plays such a sweet and lilting melody. I didn't realize my abilities as a Guardian extended to hearing the music of life in this reality! I love music but my own world doesn't even give so much as a hint of a hum or whistle. This place though... It calls to me like no other... No wonder the Goddess is loved and the people are so happy. This pond was formed from the music of the very stars themselves... This village is blessed..._

I reached out to run my fingers over the writing, feeling the indentations of a pen that had scribbled here so many years ago. There was so much that was missing from this journal... So much information that I needed... I studied the sprites for a heartbeat before looking at the pond. Star Drop Pond was special to my aunt because she could actually feel its music. I could feel nothing that my aunt described, it was only a terribly sad emptiness that gripped me. The melody I had heard before... Had it been a mere echo of what was?

I could feel the tears in my eyes, the pain in my heart, as I dropped my purse beside the journal and got uneasily to my feet. I knew what I had to do, this place was calling to me as it had to my aunt. However, it was calling to me in a completely different way and I knew that the moment I heeded that call, there was no turning back...

I could feel the eyes of the sprites on me as I wiped my tears away and took a step forward, my foot sinking beneath the surface of the water. The moment my foot dipped beneath the surface, the sad melody from before intensified, completely surrounding my very heart. I cried out at the pain of it, the loss of it, the sadness of being forgotten and then... it was all over. I was floating beneath the surface of the water, staring up at the rippling expanse of a cornflower blue sky. Dancing above the surface, a sphere floated, bearing within it a single note of pure piercing joy... It was my first true step...

…

The evening was quiet and cold. Though spring was here, the fading echo of winter was still trailing the edge of its cold fingers along the land. Hoisting his hammer, his hoe and his bag of ores and stones, Kurt slowly made his way along the road back home. The carpenter's shop was located along the southwestern edges of the forest. Across from his home there was public land that bordered the beach. Beside that plot of land, there was a shop owned by a mother and daughter who excelled in selling seeds, of course their only customer was the local rancher, Jamie.

Kurt glanced up at the evening sky, taking in the sight of the stars that were beginning to wink to life. This place didn't have many people and so business was always slow. Aside from getting calls for repairs, this sleepy little village didn't offer much in the way of excitement, for which he was glad. He was a quiet sort and enjoyed the peacefulness this place offered so much of the time. His brother was a different story though, Joe was always going on about how awesome it would be to have more people move to the village. Having more people in the village would mean better business for all of the local shops, more people coming to the festivals, more excitement...

The wind was blowing through the trees, a sea wind that had a hint of salt with it. That breeze was usually so wonderful and Kurt couldn't help but stop just a few yards from his home. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, enjoying the smell of the salt, the wood and the very essence of spring... Drifting on the wind, a faint scent of lavenders mingled with the scent of wood. He opened his eyes and glanced around, that was a scent he didn't catch in this part of the village...

On the plot of land across from his home, among the weed and rock littered ground, a young woman was standing between two trees. She was studying the land with a smile, her copper brown waves briefly touched by the passing wind. A part of Kurt instantly knew that it was the young woman from before and yet...

He closed his eyes and took in a breath before opening them again. She was gone of course, a simple figment of his overtired mind... What was wrong with him? This day had been strange... He ignored the questioning thoughts as to why he was having hallucinations of a woman, ignored the fact that he just might be going crazy. Instead, Kurt simply hoisted his tools and his bag over his shoulders and continued on his way home.


	6. Meet the New Rancher

_Meeting the New Rancher..._

"Li Li!"

I paused in the middle of pulling up some weeds surrounding the banks of the pond, the growing pile at my side evident of how neglected this forest had become. After my strange experience with Star Drop Pond a week prior, I had found that a very strong connection had developed between myself and the surrounding plant life. The trees around here were choking for life, there were no flowers to help make the soil become more enriched and weeds, rocks and broken branches were everywhere. I had taken to cleaning up the area as much as I could and also a local home that seemed empty of any occupants at the moment. It was a sea side area, right across from the local carpenter's, and I had taken quite a liking to the place. I was trying my best with cleaning both that area and my own.

I'm sure you're probably wondering where I am living now that I've become the temporary Goddess. Well, believe it or not, that pond was a gateway to a different location, another reality I suppose. Maybe the Harvest Goddess here was quite familiar with it. It was an island that bore some trees and flowers and little pathways that carved there way through the surrounding forest. It had a little cottage that was settled beside a pond that was exactly in size and shape as Star Drop Pond. The cottage was equipped with the immediate essentials. A kitchenette, a bed, and even a strange clock that gave the time of day, what day it was and announced the expected weather for the village. There wasn't a bathroom of any kind though but I made due with what I had... It was strange to have found this place but after all I had been through so far, I really shouldn't have been surprised. I bet this place belonged to the Harvest Goddess, I just hoped she wouldn't mind me using it in the mean time...

"Come on!"

I blinked, the sound of the voice bringing me back to reality and I looked over to where the little sprite in yellow, Carlos, was making his way over to me, waving his tiny hand in excitement. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of him as he easily weaved his way around the weeds and rocks. He seemed terribly excited about something. I wondered what was going on?

"Li Li, come quick! You have to see!" He skidded to a stop at my side and grabbed my hand, pulling me earnestly in the direction of the main road. "There's a new person in the village and she can _see_ us!"

"All right, all right, I'm coming!" I got to my feet as Carlos released my hand and ran back the way he had come. I started following after him, once again surprised at how quickly these sprites could move. I may be a temporary Goddess but I could not do anything as fantastic as even the sprites could manage.

"She's at the town square Li Li!" Carlos jumped up into the air in a flurry of glittering, yellow sprite dust and disappeared from view. I sighed heavily and started to run a little faster. Yeah, something like that... I had no magical abilities whatsoever thanks to the Witch Princess sealing whatever out of control powers I _did _have. I had no idea what I was even capable of as _guardian, (_a term I had picked up from Aunt Liz's journal and from the witch herself.) What was I capable of as a temporary Goddess?

Well, it didn't matter since I had no way of finding out at this moment. One thing I was grateful of was the fact that I was able to stay in shape. I did a lot of jogging back home and all those miles paid off. Despite how small the actual village was, the land that surrounded the village was huge and to get anywhere quickly around here meant a lot of running...

I took in a breath and started the long run up the main road that led to the town square...

…

With a deep inhale and a satisfied sigh, the young woman made her way into the town square. She was a pretty one with shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes that were searching the immediate area. She was dressed in a simple pair of jean shorts, a white shirt and a pink vest. It seemed to be proper attire for a rancher but she hadn't been sure. Ah well...

She looked a little cautious for some reason. It had been a long walk from the nearest bus station to this remote village. With lugging all of her suitcases over the dirt road, it was nice to see that the town square of Flower Bud Village was cobbled... or was it brick? Ah, who cared, it was just nice to get off of the dirt. She had quite a morning with walking all of this way and the lack of sleep didn't help. She had been seeing things on her way through the main road, a funny little person in blue clothes running between trees and bushes, as if following her... She needed to get some sleep...

"Ah hah! You there!"

The young woman nearly dropped her luggage in surprise as she looked over to find a middle aged man, with a bit of girth around the middle and a black top hat on a head of thick brown hair, making his way towards her. He was dressed in a red tailored coat, the gold buttons gleaming in the morning light. He stopped in front of her and waved in an ecstatic manner. "Howdy! Welcome to Flower Bud Village! I'm Theodore, the mayor, it's a pleasure to meet you in person!" He had a very thick, brown mustache that fluttered every time he spoke and the young woman could only stare. She hadn't expected the mayor himself to greet her...

"Ah-"

"So, what was your name again?"

She blinked in reply and glanced around, wondering if there might be any one else hiding around this square. "Er... My name is Robin... I came here on the Exciting Ranch Plan. I sent you a letter a couple of weeks ago letting you know I'd be here."

"Ah yes, Robin!" He gave a nod as he pulled out a little black book from his red coat, flourishing a pen as if it were some magical tool. "Well my dear, let's get to business! You'll need to pick a plot of land before you can set up shop, so to speak. You have three choices: the Village Center, it's close to all of the main shops in the village, very convenient location but not a lot of room if you decide to raise animals." He moved his pen down the page he was reading, not noticing that Robin continued to stare at him, her mouth slightly agape. "Ocean Side is very nice, a lot of space to build a barn and a coop but the land is not the best to grow crops." He placed his pen against his chin and tapped it thoughtfully, his thick brows coming together. "And lastly, you have the River Side, it's convenient for fishing since it is by the river but..." He trailed off at that and glanced at Robin with a large smile. "Well, what shall it be?"

Three choices? She hadn't expected to actually have a choice in the land she was interested in. The ad hadn't been very detailed actually... And why was the mayor so hesitant about that last choice? She was so deep thought, she hadn't noticed that someone else had walked up beside the mayor. A moment passed before she finally noticed the woman and silence was all that fell. The mayor wasn't aware of the woman standing beside him, she was dressed in a pair of faded, grass and dirt stained jeans and a thin, beige blouse. Thick waves of copper brown hair were pulled back into a braid from a lightly tanned face and her lavender eyes were watching Robin with keen interest.

Robin stared back at the strange woman before glancing at the mayor. "I-I'm sorry, that was a bit too much to take in at once. What were the choices again?"

Theodore simply smiled and went down the list of available lots in her price range once more. With each place that had been read, Robin noticed the strange woman would make a slight expression on each one. When those lavender orbs met with Robin's, the woman smiled and moved over to stand beside her. "If I were you," said the woman, her voice was slightly melodious and Robin couldn't help but like the sound of it. "I'd try Ocean Side, it's the largest and you'll definitely get a use of all that space if you plan on building a ranch."

Robin looked at the woman before glancing at the mayor. Theodore didn't acknowledge the woman who stood beside her, he didn't even seem aware of her presence. Huh... that was weird...

"I'll think I'll go with the plot by the ocean, I was planning on raising some chickens and cows so the space will be great..."

"Wonderful!" Theodore checked off the page in his book and gave a nod, he was a happy person Robin had to admit that. "Now, I'll just need to register the name of your ranch and then we'll take you to your new home."

"A name?" Robin frowned lightly, her brown eyes growing thoughtful as she thought over the names she had been going over for some time now. She had thought of several promising ones but there was one that stood out among the others. She looked at the mayor and gave a nod. "I'd like to register the name _Lavender Fields_."

She heard a sharp intake of breath and she glanced at the strange woman who stood at her side. The woman was smiling at her and she looked extremely happy. Robin felt a smile of her own being pulled and she couldn't help but feel glad that this strange woman liked the name.

"That's a great name for your ranch!" Theodore continued to write in his book before checking something off and placing the book and pen away in his tailored, red coat. "Well, come along I'll help you with your bags. Ocean Side is quite a ways away from the town square." He moved forward to grab some of Robin's bags and proceeded to lead the way. Robin glanced at the strange woman, who gave a smile and a nod in encouragement.

"I'll be right behind you, I can help with this last suitcase." The woman reached down to grab the last piece of luggage that Robin wasn't carrying. "My name is Dahlia."

Robin, not understanding why the mayor hadn't said a word to this villager and why she herself had not been compelled to say anything of her, simply nodded and hoisted her remaining suitcases. "I'm Robin."

"It's nice to meet you Robin," said Dahlia, a large smile appearing on her lips.

Robin smiled in turn and proceeded to walk on ahead of Dahlia, feeling an odd sort of kinship with the woman. Whoever Dahlia was, Robin felt she'd be a great asset in the days to come...

…

He had just been on his way out the door, his hoe and hammer in hand, when he noticed the hustle and bustle going on over at the ocean side plot across the way. Mayor Theodore was helping a young woman with various suitcases into the old home that stood alone on the large plot of land. After some time, the mayor exited the house with the woman behind him, said a few words to her and then waved goodbye.

The woman stood at the old gate for some time, watching the mayor as he made his way up the road that led back to the village center. The woman was looking back at her house but she hadn't gone inside as of yet. She appeared to be listening to something or someone because the next moment she shook her head and said something, though what that was he couldn't make out. Had she moved here with someone?

"Ah Kurt! How are you this morning?"

Kurt blinked in surprise and looked over to see Theodore turning the corner of the road and proceed to walk by the carpenter's. "Hello, Mayor Theodore..." Kurt said in usual quiet manner, giving a nod in greeting to the older man as the mayor walked by.

"On your way to Moonlight Cave?" The mayor smiled, stopping in front of the carpenter's apprentice and tucking tilting his top hat in greeting.

"Yes sir," said Kurt, rearranging the tools in his grip for good measure.

"Good, good!" Theodore nodded and tipped his hat again to the younger man. He didn't seem affected by Kurt's lack of conversation, everyone in the village knew how quiet he tended to be. "Well, be careful down there and be sure you have your lantern."

"Yes sir, thank you, I will."

Theodore smiled again, the corners of his thick mustache lifting as he turned to glance back at the new rancher's home. "By the way, you have a new neighbor. Her name's Robin and she just moved here on the Exciting Ranch Plan. She'll most likely be stopping by at some point for a couple of projects in the future." He looked back at Kurt, studying the tiny frown that appeared on the younger man's face.

Kurt's deep brown eyes flicked over to the rancher's home in the distance and gave a nod. "So I see... Has she moved here with anyone?"

Theodore seemed a bit confused at that question and looked back at the ranch to see that Robin was standing on the main road now and looking in the direction of the nearby forest. She was nodding to herself and looked as if she was talking to herself. "No, no, she came alone. She had enough luggage for a family of people though." said Theodore with a laugh, though he didn't notice the frown on Kurt's face had grown slightly deeper.

"Well, I'd best be on my way, I have to file this paperwork for the new ranch, tell your brother and grandpa I said hello!"

Kurt blinked and looked at the mayor, giving a nod in goodbye but not saying anything. Theodore thought nothing of it as he continued on his way up the main road, humming a cheerful tune all the while. Kurt, however, had glanced back at the ranch, seeing a familiar head of copper standing beside the new rancher. Now he was sure he hadn't been seeing things these past several days...

There was no way in hell that this woman could be a figment of his imagination if that new rancher was standing there and talking to her. He could see her as plain as day now though her clothes were looking dirtier than usual. Kurt was debating if he should go over and introduce himself, at least putting up the guise of being neighborly would give him the chance to see that strange woman up close. Would she simply disappear again if he came around? She had a knack for doing that...

"Hey Kurt! Why are you standing in the doorway like that?"

Kurt didn't jump when his brother slapped a hand on his shoulder but he did glance back at him. Joe was the complete opposite of Kurt. Where Kurt was quiet and thoughtful and didn't say much, Joe was loud and energetic and greeted everyone with a smile. Kurt liked being down in Moonlight Cave on his breaks from work, Joe was fond of staying out in the sun and fishing by the rivers. His attire was similar in style's to Kurt's save that his color scheme was mostly a lighter brown and there was no camouflage. A red and white striped shirt was worn under his brown vest and a blue and white star spangled bandana covered the top of his brown hair.

Kurt studied his brother and simply shrugged, though Joe knew his brother well enough to see that he was troubled by something. Joe looked over to where his brother had been watching the old ranch house and saw that someone had moved in. "Hey we have a new neighbor!"

The frown on Kurt's face grew a fraction as he glanced back at the sight of the new rancher now walking around the back of the house. She was looking at the lumber shed and studying it, her hands on her hips. She was nodding to herself but the copper haired woman was no where to be seen...

Disappointment nagged at him and with practiced ease he slipped out of his brother's grasp. "Yeah, she's the new rancher... I'll see you later Joe."

Joe didn't miss the troubled look on his brother's face and he knew better than to bother him at the moment. That look on his face was one that meant that he wished to be alone and even Joe knew when it was trouble to step over that line. Unfortunately, his brother had been looking troubled this past week now and Joe wasn't going to keep quiet much longer...

Kurt took a short cut around the back of the house and through the woods to the wooden bridge. It was slightly quicker than following the main road. Besides, he was a practiced woodsman that was very careful when treading through the forest and he knew his way around these woods. He had been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he nearly missed the sight of a familiar head of copper hair in the distance. It caught his eye at the last moment though and he stopped, looking over to see that strange woman was now by one of the main dirt roads. She looked to be struggling with something and not wasting a beat, Kurt quickly made his way through the trees.

He kept his eyes trained on her while his steps were quick and silent, his practiced feet knowing where to tread lightly. The closer he got to her, the more he found himself praying to the Harvest Goddess that she wouldn't disappear. She had been such a mystery to him, a confusing part of his daily routine this past week. She seemed to linger often around the sea side ranch and the forest by the carpenter's. She had been pulling weeds and gathering branches and sticks. He would see her out of the corner of his eyes and then, when he would look, she was no where to be found. He was sure he had been imagining her... but now that he had seen the new rancher speaking with her, he knew he wasn't losing his mind. He could hear her now, huffing and grunting as she struggled with whatever was by the side of the road.

He started to move a little more carefully, afraid that if he made the slightest noise, he would scare her and then she would disappear as she often did. When he was finally a few feet behind her, he could make out the individual waves in her hair, a few falling loose from her braid. She appeared to be trying to pull a log that had rolled out to the side of the main road and not doing a very good job of it.

The corner of his mouth twitched as she let loose a colorful string of curses, trying her best to heave the log but all she did was manage to lose her grip. She stumbled back in surprise, her arms waving about as she tried to catch herself. He was there in a heartbeat, dropping his tools to the ground and rushing forward. He caught her under the arms with a slight grunt and managed to keep from falling from her weight. "Easy there... That's not the best way to remove a log that size you know..."

The woman had glanced up at him in surprise, her eyes wide with confusion. Goddess, her eyes were even more beautiful than he remembered. He noticed quickly that she was as shocked as he was at the sight of him and he could feel it,. Her body becoming lighter and he could see she was becoming a little more transparent. Without realizing, his hold on her had tightened and his deep brown eyes were gazing into hers with such intensity.

"Don't," he said, the slight pleading in his voice catching him by surprise. "Don't disappear again..."

The slight pleading seemed to have worked because she had stopped... She had stopped fading away. He could actually see her now, he was holding her now, she was real. The tiny smile that touched his lips seemed to have an odd affect on her because soon a deep blush was filling her cheeks. He liked that, he liked that he wasn't seeing things.

Taking in a breath, he helped her back to her feet, his gloved hands lingering on her shoulders as she regained her footing. He was still afraid that she'd disappear again and it was odd to know that she really did exist. She took in a breath and eased away from him, much to his disappointment. She only backed away a couple of feet though and she was staring up at him in surprise. "You... You can see me?"

He folded his arms across his chest as he studied her, noting her dirtied appearance and the smudge of dirt on her cheeks. His eyes met hers and he gave a nod. "Not all the time... I thought I was going crazy for a moment."

A laugh escaped her, a lilting sound that he liked a lot. The small smile on his lips grew a fraction as he studied the way her hands were nervously brushing at her faded jeans. She finally looked up at him and looked as if she were trying to fight down the blush that was staining her cheeks. "I'm sorry... It's just that I've gotten so used to the villagers not noticing me... You surprised me."

"Who are you?" The question escaped before he could stop it but he had a strong feeling that he didn't have a lot of time. He needed to know her name at least...

She opened her mouth to speak but then something caught her attention and looked away, looking as if she were listening to something. She glanced back at him and gave an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I have to go." She raised a hand in farewell and was about to turn when Kurt rushed forward to grab that hand. She turned around in surprise, her lavender orbs staring into his deep brown ones.

"At least tell me your name." He pulled her a little closer, still afraid of what was going on. Was he dreaming all of this? Was she truly real? No, he wasn't dreaming, of that he was sure. She was blushing even more now and she looked away, hearing something he could not. He squeezed her hand, getting her attention again. "I'm Kurt."

She hesitated at first but finally smiled and nodded. "Dahlia..."

_Li Li..._

He had heard it then, a faint whisper on the wind but it did sound like something. Dahlia heard it as well and looked away, gently pulling her hand from his grasp. She took a few more steps back as she smiled at him and waved goodbye. "It was nice to finally meet you Kurt. And... sorry for disappearing..." Before he could respond, she had turned on the spot and faded from view, a lingering scent of lavenders remaining where she had been.

Kurt stood there fore a moment, not sure as to what he had been witness to. Had he just met a witch of some kind? Moving over to grab the tools he had dropped, he hoisted them over his shoulders, a light smile tugging on his lips. Well, he would find out sooner or later and he found the one thing he needed to know. She was definitely real and she had a name. Dahlia...


	7. Ignore, Have to Ignore

_(A/n) OK, to Harvest Moon Girls Are Awesome, I promise that Annie and Trent, Jay and Ellie WILL make an appearance in this story. I PROMISE! Just not now... -=mumbles something about summer=-_

_Thanks to TheOneAndOnlyBree for reviewing as well! :D_

* * *

**_Ignore, Have to Ignore..._**

_I couldn't believe it... He could see me... He actually talked to me..._

I was sitting on the sandy shore of Moonlight Beach, a gentle breeze blew through the trees of the Lavender Fields ranch. Evening had settled on the land and the ocean was so beautiful. I took in a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the salt and the faint scent of lavenders that seemed to linger around me. I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. Had Aunt Liz felt this peaceful here? Had she felt the troubling emotions I did now? I couldn't deny that I felt a strong attraction to the carpenter's apprentice. It had been there from the moment we had literally walked into one another.

Did he sense something as well? He had seemed quite keen to keep me from leaving, had been quite keen to know my name. I couldn't believe that he had actually caught glimpses of me. None of the other villagers, aside from Jamie, had even realized that I was there, even when I was standing right beside them when they were out for strolls or doing their daily errands. Did this mean something?

I picked up my aunt's journal and opened it, looking to the new page page that had written itself out just shortly after my encounter with Kurt. I read it as I had so many times throughout the day, taking in the words of Aunt Liz:

_It had been a quiet and cloudy morning, I was strolling along the beach and enjoying the sights and sounds. There were even a couple of dolphins playing out in the distance by the dock. I couldn't help but laugh at the sight of them. They were so carefree and happy, when was the last time I had ever allowed myself to relax like this? This village is so beautiful..._

_I had been so taken with the beauty of this place, I couldn't help but allow my thoughts to drift back to the man that had somehow slipped into my heart. That damn carpenter and his damn charming ways... I had no idea that it could feel like this. Gotz had somehow become so important to me and I couldn't help but wonder if there was a chance... I couldn't though. I couldn't allow myself to feel this way. He was a native of this reality and I was a stranger to this world, not only a stranger but a guardian as well. What would the Goddesses say if I decided to pursue this fancy of mine?_

_No, it was best if I left things as they were, a nice and friendly relationship... In the end, I would have to leave anyway. No sense in causing any hurt to him as well..._

I ran my fingers over the page, studying my aunt's handwriting beneath the light of the small fire I had managed to build. I was able to find a use for some of the branches I had gathered and a box of matches that Robin had given to me earlier. I hoped that no one could see the fire but I had a feeling that it was as unnoticeable as I was...

Why did reading my aunt's entry give me a deep sense of deja vu? It felt as if her thoughts were echoing my own for some reason. I closed the book with a sigh and set it down on the sand beside me. I remembered that Aunt Liz said that I would have a choice after this ordeal... What choice would that be for me? Would it be as hard as hers had been?

"If you frown any more, your face will stay that way..."

I blinked in surprise, catching the sound of a very familiar voice. I glanced around me, looking around the beach and the nearby trees for the person who spoke. It wasn't until I faced the ocean again that I saw her, the Witch Princess. The slight frown on my face at the sight of her must have been obvious because she laughed, her blonde waves spilling over her slender shoulders as she shook her head. "Well, it's nice to see that you missed me..."

After she had thrown me through that vortex that last time I had met her, I couldn't help but feel cautious around her. Something nagged at me that she wasn't usually this... nice. She noticed that the frown on my face hadn't eased and she laughed again. Without warning, she appeared beside me and sat down beside me, an easy smile on her face. "So, how's everything going?"

I didn't respond, I simply watched her as she started to kick the sand around her booted feet. When the silence stretched on between us, she glanced at me and studied me. Her crimson eyes flicked between mine and then that creepy smile was back. She reached forward and pressed her finger against my forehead. I cried out as the pain that made itself known, my hands flying up to rub the offended spot.

The witch simply laughed as she watched me, her eyes studying the mark of the Goddess now flaring up between my brows. I could feel it, it was as if it were etching itself into my skin. The tear drop as well as the faint curls on either side of it. It had finally faded away, I guess it didn't mean it was gone for good. The frown on my face was deep as I glared at her, my temper slightly rising.

"That's better," she said, her crimson eyes twinkling with mirth as she brought her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. "Now you remind of Annie and Jay. They have that same frown, especially where that crease is between your brows."

At once the frown was gone and I stared at her, the subject of my missing cousins catching me by surprise. I had been so wrapped up in what was happening here in the village, I had almost forgotten that Annie and Jay were here in this reality as well... somewhere...

I sighed heavily and looked at the waves crashing on the beach, my eyes growing distant as I thought of them. "How are they?"

The Witch Princess followed my gaze as she rested her chin on the top of her knees. "They're happy... so happy... Even I don't have the heart to try and ruin that. Annie is especially since her daughter had been born last summer."

I nearly choked on my next breath as I glanced at the witch, my eyes growing wide in surprise. "Annie has a child?"

She looked at me, those crimson eyes studying me for a moment before she looked back to the ocean. "Oh yes, a lively nine month old named Anya... I swear that girl couldn't be more like your family." Her eyes grew distant as she studied the water with keen interest, I swore I could have seen tears in her eyes. "Your Aunt Liz... I see a lot of her in all of you. Your cousins, your second cousin..." She took in breath and glanced at me, a rare smile touching her lips. "She runs particularly strong in you though. Every time I see you, I see her. I feel like I have my best friend with me now when you look at me like that..." She laughed and wiped the tears away from her cheeks, looking away to compose herself. "Your hair is a different color though... and your eyes have changed because of all that's going on..."

I couldn't say anything after that, I really couldn't. My Aunt Liz had meant so much not only to my family but to this woman here as well. I didn't know the story as to how she had known my aunt but I felt that now was not the time to ask. We simply sat there in companionable silence, taking in the sight of the star filled sky and listening to the fire as it crackled. After about ten minutes, the witch heaved a sigh and reached out brush her fingers across my forehead. Instead of pain, I felt a slight pressure being released, as if a weight that had been bearing down on me was being lifted just a little.

I glanced at her in question and she only smiled in response. "You're gaining a bit more control over your emotions. I lightened the seal on your powers so that way your job as temporary Goddess will be a little easier to deal with."

I studied the Witch Princess for a moment before giving a small smile, my silent was thanks enough. We looked back out to the crashing waves and continued to sit there, taking in the peacefulness...

_..._

There was a knock on her door, an incessant knocking that wouldn't give up. She opened her eyes and looked at the clock on her nightstand. Six in the morning... It was six in the morning?

Dragging herself out of bed, Robin dragged her blankets with her, looking bleary eyed and completely out of touch with the real world. She opened the front door and found herself facing three little people, dressed in yellow, red and blue. She blinked and stared at the little people, wondering if she was dreaming... she had to be...

"Good morning Robin!"

The new rancher rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as she spotted a familiar head of copper brown waves. Dahlia was standing beside the little elf thing in red, a bright smile on her lips. "I hope we didn't disturb you but it was time to get started on the day. There's a lot to see in this village."

Robin only groaned in response and looked at the little elf things, she recognized the one in blue as the one who followed her yesterday on the way to town. She looked at Dahlia and sighed heavily, "You weren't kidding were you? There really is a Harvest Goddess here?"

Dahlia simply smiled and indicated to the elf things that stood around her. "These are the Harvest Sprites. This is Carlos, Billy and Arthur." She pointed to the sprite dressed in yellow, blue and red respectively and turned her lavender eyes back to the rancher. "You might want to get dressed and all, it's a long walk to the Harvest Goddess Spring."

Robin only groaned and disappeared back inside of her house, not believing that anyone could be awake at this ungoddess- like hour. However, she heard the sound of footsteps following into her home and she sighed, now realizing that she wasn't going to have a choice in the matter...

…

The trek through the main roads of Flower Bud Village was not the best, Robin could admit that. However, she had to find it funny that none of the villagers that she met along the way could see Dahlia or the harvest sprites. Dahlia had explained to her the day before that none of the villagers could see her. She was like the sprites in a way that she was mystical in some sense but she didn't seem mystical, at least not to Robin. It wasn't until they had passed the village center, and had run into Mayor Theodore, that Robin finally believed the strange Dahlia.

The mayor had struck up a conversation with Robin, all the while not noticing that Dahlia and the sprites were standing there. When the mayor finally said goodbye and continued on his way, Robin couldn't keep the surprised look from her face as she turned to Dahlia. "Wh-what was that about? He acted as he couldn't even see-"

"C'mon Robin, we still have quite a ways before we reach the spring." Dahlia continued to smile as she turned and continued to lead the way toward the mountain path. The sprites were jumping in an excited manner before they ran off to follow Dahlia and Robin, feeling confused about everything going on, had no choice but to follow...

…

It took a bit of climbing and a bit of cursing, but Robin had finally made it through the Forest of Streams. Her brown pigtails were flopping on either side of her head as she took a breath, moving to take a seat on the green grass. They were in a clearing now, a clearing that was filled with several streams. Dahlia was only smiling at the rancher as the sprites ran on toward a hill where a stone statue stood. As Robin took in several deep breaths, Dahlia remained standing beside a stream, her lavender eyes studying the statue.

"Where are we?" Robin asked, after finally managing to catch her breath. She got to her feet and moved to stand beside her new acquaintance. Dahlia glanced at her and gave a nod toward the hill.

"This is the Goddess Spring," she said, pointing a finger toward the lone statue. "That... That is the Harvest Goddess of this village..." She trailed off at that, a sad look appearing on her face. "She's been turned to stone, has been this way for a year..." She recounted the tale the harvest sprites had told, of her duty of bringing helping the villagers to remember the Goddess and helping to bring her back.

"Years ago, this place had been filled with music. The festivals here honored all that the Goddess had done, they celebrated life and love..." She trailed off at that and shook her head, looking slightly troubled. "They had forgotten... People had moved away from here and now the the remaining villagers can't even remember the very songs they used to sing..."

Robin frowned lightly, taking in this story and not liking it. She crossed her arms, studying the statue of the Goddess. She was absolutely beautiful and Robin couldn't help but feel as if there was something about her that Dahlia shared. She glanced at the other woman and noted the tired look on her face. Had Dahlia only been here a week? She looked as if she had spent a lifetime here...

"We need music!" Billy, the little sprite in blue, jumped up and down in excitement. "If the people here remember the music of love, of friendship, of life itself! Then she'll wake up again!"

Dahlia smiled at the little sprite before looking at the rancher, her lavender eyes looking distant and sad. "I'll be able to find my family, make sure they're all right... then I can go home..."

Robin couldn't help but sense that there was more to the story than Dahlia let on but she said nothing of it. Dahlia would share her story, her full story, when she was good and ready to. Right now, Robin knew that the best way to help her ranch was to help the people of this village. That meant finding a way of waking the Harvest Goddess from her stone sleep...

"So, you found someone else that can see you huh?"

Everyone turned to find the poncho wearing rancher, Jamie, walking up the path toward them. Those piercing blue eyes flicked from the sprites, then Dahlia, before finally settling on Robin herself. All at once, a fierce blush rose up into her cheeks as she studied the stranger, taking in the sight of that purple hair, the cowboy hat and the different colored poncho. Please, she had to be dreaming still... There was no way that a guy could be that gorgeous...

"Hey Jamie," said Dahlia, a light smile playing on her lips as she greeted the stranger. "How's it coming along with the ranch?"

A light frown played on Jamie's face as he looked at the other woman, those piercing blue eyes throwing daggers at the her. "A lot better than what you've been doing. Gathering sticks and rocks? Surely, you can manage even planting _something_ along that pond of yours."

Dahlia's lavender eyes flicked toward the handsome rancher and the rush of color in her light tanned cheeks was enough to prove of the temper that boiled beneath. "Oh really? You've been here an entire year and yet the Goddess remains as she has been- solid and cold as stone. Doesn't leave you much room to brag now does it?"

The anger that flared in Jamie's eyes managed to get the one of the sprites involved, the one in red. He jumped between the two of them and held up his tiny hands, looking back and forth. "You two, stop fighting! We have to find music notes together yeah?" He looked at Dahlia, the pleading in his dark eyes unmistakeable. "The Goddess wanted us to work together and that means working with the humans."

"Stop bugging me!" Jamie clenched his fists, the patches of red beneath his cheeks quite evident of his own temper. "I'm not working with you guys! It's because of humans that she was turned to stone in the first place!" His blue eyes flicked to the new rancher and she swallowed back the fear she felt. "Don't think you'll win, I'll be the one to rescue her." He looked at Dahlia and shook his fist at her, the dislike on his face apparent to even the blindest person. "And you'll never take her place, no matter how hard you try!" He dropped his hands and turned on his heel, stalking off in a hurried manner. "I'll be the one to save her, just you wait and see!"

As they watched Jamie disappear down the path, Robin couldn't help but let out a slight sigh in surprise. Dahlia caught the little sound and she looked at the rancher in concern. "Robin, don't pay any mind to that person, Jamie has always been this way, even from the day I first came here."

Robin glanced at Dahlia and merely shook her head. "He was a bit grumpy... but have you ever seen such blue eyes like that?" She sighed again, a far off look appearing on her pretty face. "I felt like he was looking straight through me..."

"He?" Dahlia looked at the empty pathway before glancing at the rancher. "You can tell Jamie's a guy?"

Robin blinked in surprise and looked at Dahlia, her brown eyes staring at her new acquaintance as if she were crazy. "What do you mean? Of course, he's a guy! Couldn't you see those broad shoulders? That strong jaw?" She ignored the funny looks that Dahlia was giving her and she stared at the path that Jamie had disappeared down. "He's intimidating, I can see that." She shook her head and folded her arms beneath her breasts, a light smile playing on her lips. "But, he cares about the Goddess... That has to mean something right?"

She glanced at Dahlia and the other woman could only shrug in response. She honestly didn't see whatever Robin was going on about but... well, Jamie wasn't exactly what Dahlia was looking for in a man. A womanly man? Yeah, better not say that to Robin... to each her own...

"C'mon," said Dahlia, reaching out to take Robin by the hand and pulling her from the down the path. "We have to meet the other villagers, you can go goo goo eyed over Jamie later..."

…

"Bro, have you been OK?"

Kurt had just swung his ax down on a particular log beside the main road. It was in fact the very same log that he had seen Dahlia struggling with the day before. They had gotten the order from their Grandpa Woody to get the log out of the way that morning and Kurt had to admit it was pretty funny how Dahlia had been trying to get it out of the way with her bare hands. It was a large log after all...

He took in a breath as he wiped the sweat from his brow and then pulled the ax from the log, the muscles of his arms growing taunt from the strain. He pulled it out with barely a grunt and heaved the ax again. "I'm fine..." He swung the ax down and this time split the log in two. He looked at Joe, an eyebrow quirking up in response. "Why are you asking?"

Joe set his own ax down and leaned against it, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he studied Kurt. He definitely seemed a great deal better today than he had all week. Still though, he couldn't fight the feeling that something was different about Kurt. "Well, I'm just asking. I can worry about my own brother, can't I?"

Kurt set his own ax beside him, his chest heaving slightly as he took in a breath. Before he could respond, the sound of footsteps reached their ears and they glanced back to catch sight of the new rancher making her way up the road. She looked as if she were talking to herself, she was looking to the right of her and staring off into the forest. Occasionally, she'd shake her head and mutter something before staring off into the distance again.

Now this would have been strange, Joe certainly thought so as he watched the brunette in pig tails make her way toward them. Kurt, on the other hand, felt a tiny smile twitching at the corners of his lips as he caught a glimpse of a familiar head of copper brown hair. He couldn't see her clearly but he could make her out if he didn't focus right on her. He could barely make out her silhouette but if he relaxed enough, he could catch a few whispers on the wind, the sound of her voice just barely heard.

As the rancher came to a sudden stop, her brown eyes focusing on the brothers, Kurt couldn't help but focus on the spot where he knew she was standing. It was odd not seeing her clearly but he could definitely sense she was there and he could sense that her eyes were on him. The thought brought an uncharacteristic smile to his face as he looked at the rancher, who had begun to introduce herself as Robin. He knew that Robin had no trouble seeing Dahlia and he was surprised at how much he wanted to see her himself without this restraint on him. It still irked him that he could not see her clearly, why could she not be seen?

"Kurt?"

He blinked and glanced at Joe, not realizing that both his brother and the rancher, Robin, were watching with with curiosity on their faces. He took his ax and hoisted it over his shoulder, his deep brown eyes gazing off into the distance. He could see her this way, out of the corner of his eye... Why did she hide herself like this?

"Nice to meet you, Robin." Kurt glanced at the new rancher and barely gave a nod in greeting before he leaned down to grab some of the lumber. Joe would grab the rest and with the rancher there, it would give him time. He could sense her eyes on him as he turned and walked off back down the road toward Woody's. He could hear his brother apologizing to the rancher for his gruff behavior but it was something he usually did. Now though, he did it for a reason...

As he turned the corner, he could hear the rush of footsteps behind him, the sound of sneakers against gravel and dirt. He continued to walk down the road until he reached his grandfather's shop and set his ax down beside the lumber shed. He placed the lumber into the shed, his muscles tightening from the strain as he lifted the pieces of wood and set them inside the little building. The footsteps had ceased several feet to his right and he turned his head slightly, catching a glimpse of her standing there and watching him. As he finished with the lumber, he dusted his gloves off and closed the door to the shed.

He heard her footsteps as she walked cautiously closer and he fought the smile as he suddenly reached out to grab her. He had expected his hand to meet with nothing but his hand found the slender slope of her shoulder. He pulled her close and looked at her, now seeing her lavender eyes clearly. She had gasped in surprise and the deep blush that filled her cheeks was enough to know that she did indeed feel this strange attraction between them.

She was clean today, her clothes were free of stains and dirt and her light tan cheeks were free of smudges. He reached out to brush his finger against her cheek, rather glad that his gloves were fingerless. He could feel just how soft her cheek was and he had to admit that he liked it. Goddess, what was wrong with him?

Dahlia couldn't keep the blush from her cheeks as Kurt ran his hands down her arms and held her hands in his own. "I was hoping I'd see you again today..." His quiet voice seemed to have an affect on her and she visibly shivered, her blush growing deeper.

"So I noticed..." Her voice had a musical quality to it, more so than he remembered from yesterday. Was this natural? Her lavender orbs were only heightened by the blush in her cheeks and she stared up at him, her full lips slightly parted. "I thought you could sense me there... That's why you walked off wasn't it?"

A light smirk appeared on his lips as he released her hands and took a step back, trying to ease some of the tension that crackled between them. This was a bit intense, he hardly knew the girl and feeling such an attraction towards her... She seemed to have the same idea because she took a few deep breaths, the blush fading from her cheeks. Her hair was loose today and he found that he liked it that way, her waves were a bit wild and they didn't seem to want to settle in just one place.

"Thank you for not saying anything in front of Robin about seeing me. As far as she knows, she's the only one who can and I don't want her to get discouraged."

"Discouraged?" He folded his arms across his chest as he studied her. She was twiddling her fingers, the slender digits lightly toying with one another. He noticed that every time she flicked her fingers a certain way, the grass around her feet would begin to dance in the same way. She was magical, it was a bit hard to swallow but he couldn't ignore the simple fact that she could disappear right in front of his eyes. He still didn't know who she was...

"I feel she's the key to help bringing life back to this village," she said as she looked up at him and gave such a sweet smile. "I need her help and if that means keeping my existence as just something she knows, I'll need it to stay that way."

Kurt gave a nod though not understanding what she meant about saving the village. What did the village need saving from? In fact, why was she here? What was her purpose? Why could none of the other villagers see her aside from the new rancher and, at times, himself? Reality settled down and the attraction that was blinding his logical mind began to cool off. He studied her with keen interest, not looking at her as as the woman who had haunted him all this week but for the simple fact that she was a mystery. He had no idea who she was or where she came from.

Dahlia noted the silence that emanated from him and she straightened her slender shoulders, staring him straight in the eye. She could see the questions in his eyes, the questions he wanted to ask, but would she be willing to answer? Could she?

He opened his mouth to ask something when a gravely voice called from the front of the building. "Kurt! Joe! Is that you? Which one of you is back there?"

Kurt glanced away at the sound of his grandpa's voice, hearing Woody's firm footsteps as they made their way around the building. He turned back to Dahlia, not sure if she was willing to talk to him with his grandfather on the way. The answer was made obvious as he stared at the spot where she had been standing a moment ago. He looked around, trying to see where she might have gone but there was no sign of her.

Heaving a sigh, Kurt grabbed his ax and greeted his grandfather as the old man came around the building. There was a shout from further down the road and they looked to see Joe making his way home, lugging the last of the lumber. Kurt couldn't keep the disappointment at bay as he glanced off into the trees. Spring was well on its way and he couldn't help but sense that something incredible had happened. This year was going to be different and he could bet his money that it was going to because of Dahlia...

…

"There you are!"

I stopped in surprise outside the gate to Robin's home, finding the new rancher eying me with curiosity. I put on my best smile as I walked up to her, hoping that my unease wasn't too obvious.

"Hey..."

Her brown eyes narrowed as she studied me a little more, her curiosity turning to suspicion. "Where did you run off to? One minute you're standing next to me and the next, you disappeared." She kept her gaze on me as I walked up her small pathway to the front door of her house. "Did you go to follow that moody carpenter?"

I didn't say anything in reply as I let myself into her house and went straight to the tool box that held her basic tools for farming. As I opened it and began to pull out a hoe and a watering can, I could hear her footsteps as she walked around to get a better look at my face. I glanced up at her and her eyes grew wide, a soft gasp escaping. "Oh my Goddess, you did, didn't you!"

I couldn't fight the warmth that made its way into my cheeks and I simply slammed the lid of the box down and thrust the tools into her hands. "Take these, we have to get started on planting spring crops. You don't have any more money and to make money means you have to work."

The change of subject was just what I needed and I ignored the sounds of Robin's protests as I pushed her out of her own house. I closed the door behind me and continued to push the rancher all the way to her neighbors on Spring Farm. There was a nice mother and daughter there that sold seeds for the season and I had a feeling that keeping Robin and myself busy would help us to avoid the strangeness that was myself and Kurt. I couldn't be distracted right now but it was so hard to ignore the image of those deep brown eyes... Ignore, I had to ignore... I couldn't let myself grow attached...


	8. He can see me

_(A/n) Thanks for the reviews! -=hugs you all tight=- I never ask people to review so I'm always grateful when I get them, it makes it worth so much more, you know?_

_BTW, I've been playing MM and I have Kurt at ten hearts... hee! He blushes every time I talk to him. :)_

* * *

_He can see me..._

A week passed...

Then two weeks...

Before I knew it, spring was well underway and Robin and I had a good assortment of crops growing on that infertile plot of land. It had been hard at first. When we had first cleared the land and tilled the soil on _Lavender Fields,_ it was dry. Completely and utterly dry. There were no nutrients in the dirt, nothing in which that could grow aside from weeds and stubborn, brittle grass. The local shops didn't sell fertilizer and Jamie sure wasn't going to give any. Trust me, poor Robin had actually gone over to his ranch (despite my warnings.) She had come back to the ranch with a distant look in her brown eyes, even her pigtails looked as if they were drooping.

"He just laughed in my face and slammed the door..." She had said after I had asked if she was ok. She didn't say anything after that but I couldn't ignore the determined look that had appeared. She had simply picked up her hoe and continued to till the area of land we had been working on. I didn't like that Robin had put down so badly by that damn rancher. He (and yes, Robin was quite right in assuming his gender) didn't bother me simply because I just thought of him as the ass he wanted everyone to think. However, Robin didn't look at him that way... I had no idea what she saw in him but whenever we passed Jamie in the village, she would always go out of her way to talk to him. His response was always the same to her: leave me alone, don't talk to me, you're an idiot...

Poor thing was so smitten with him, she wouldn't leave him alone despite his constant grumbling and by this time I had given up. If she wanted to pursue a friendship with the grumpy rancher, all the best of luck to her. I was a little more concerned with the somewhat dead land that she had purchased. I felt the most to blame (after all I had told her to buy the property) but that was because I had felt such a connection to it. I could have sworn that I had felt something within that ground of hers...

It turned out I was right in that regards, there was life in that land and it only needed a bit of pushing from my part to make it happen. Thanks to the Witch Princess easing the seal on whatever powers I possessed, I was able to find out that I had some magic in me. It took a bit of experimenting but I was able manipulate the nutrients and moisture in that dead soil. It was strange feeling that power emanating from within the very depths of my heart. It felt like I had this urge to sing, sigh, and cry all at the same time. I could hear the music of the land, it was sad and muffled but I had focused on the music, calling it forward. It took a moment but the soil had changed from dry dirt to a deep, dark rich brown that it as supposed to be. The earth had heeded my call and answered it, the music I heard from that little area was one of happiness and I nearly cried at the sound of it.

Robin had been so excited at the sight of it and she urged me to keep trying. Of course I had to, I was excited myself. Unfortunately, I found out the hard way that I could only do it a few times. My stamina was not quite up to par of being that of a full blown Harvest Goddess and I had fallen over in a dead faint after I managed to get a small plot of her land to being fertile. Poor Robin, she had to drag my heavy body back to Stardrop Pond to get me to revive. The sprites had their own powers but they weren't strong enough to help anyone, let alone me.

Well, as I said before, it was tough at first but we managed to make it work. That little ranch looked a great deal better than it had when we first started and I had to say that the day we began our first harvest, Robin had every right to feel to celebrate. Of course, there wasn't anywhere to celebrate in this tiny village so I had taken Robin to my own little island home (which she absolutely loved and pestered me to spend the night... I caved in of course.) We had some of the wine that was in the tiny fridge and sat out on the beach to watch the sunset...

Off in the distance, I could see the shoreline of the beach to Flower Bud Village and we watched as the tiny lights of the village began to turn on for the coming night. Robin had such a look of happiness on her pretty face, her gloved hands holding carefully onto her wine glass. She had glanced at me then and her smile grew. "So, I finally made it as a rancher huh?"

The corners of my mouth turned down in a thoughtful gesture, my fingers lightly drumming against the glass. "Well... You had made it as a farmer." I caught her questioning glance and I merely shrugged in reply. "You don't have any animals so you're not quite there as a rancher yet."

She blinked at first, the look on her face could best be described as puzzled. It took a moment but she seemed to understand what I was saying and she gave a firm nod. "You're right... I'm going to start saving to build a chicken coop." She glanced back at the water and that determined look appeared again in her pretty brown eyes. "I had spoken with Ellen and she said that chickens were the easiest to start with. I bet it'll be fun!" She paused and glanced at me, her pigtails flopping about her head. "You will help me, right Li? I feel like I really can do it but... well, with you there, I look forward to it more."

I smiled at the rancher, she had taken to using my nickname after I had told her about my family. She didn't know the whole story just yet but I did share with her exactly why I was the way I was. She did know about Annie and Jay and she did know that I was filling in as a temporary replacement for the Harvest Goddess of the village. She didn't know how it had come about and I didn't feel it was the right time just yet... I let go of those thoughts though and smiled at my new friend, giving a nod in reply. "Of course Robbie! You're stuck with me whether you like it or not. You're the only one who can see me aside from Jamie." I frowned at that and she laughed, knowing my dislike for the purple haired rancher. "I prefer your company any day."

A thoughtful look appeared on Robin's face as she studied me, her brown eyes looking very serious. I couldn't ignore the light frown that appeared on her face and I set my wineglass down in the sand. She didn't say anything at first and I shook my head. "What's wrong Robin? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Her frown deepened as she continued to study me. Finally, after an awkward silence, she sighed and set her glass aside as well. "Are you sure that only Jamie and I are the only ones who can see you?"

I felt my heart drop at that question and blinked, no reply coming to mind as she continued to study me. She must have noticed the pale look on my face because a light smile appeared on her lips. "We aren't, are we?"

I swallowed the lump that had formed at my throat and looked away, my gaze traveling to the sight of the dolphin that liked to play around the dock of this island. She took my silence to heart and I heard her sigh heavily. I glanced at her and saw that she had brought her knees up and had wrapped her arms around them. She rested her chin against her knees and smiled. "That carpenter's apprentice... the moody one... He can see you, can't he?"

I felt the warmth in my cheeks before I could stop it and looked away, a deep frown on my face. A few moments passed before I shook my head in reply, my chest rising and falling from the deep breath that I had taken. "No... not anymore at least."

"What do you mean?"

I looked at her and saw the concern in her brown eyes. I couldn't lie to her or not tell her. Robin had fast become my only friend in this strange world and before I knew it, I told her of the carpenter named Kurt. How we had bumped into one another that first day, how we had officially met, the strange realization that he could see me... to a point at least. At the end of it, I was breathless and I could feel the tears burning in my eyes. "I had gone to see him the next day. I actually waited for him. I had been sitting outside for an hour before he came out of his grandfather's workshop." I frowned, the memory of it was still painful to me, though I didn't know why. "I had called his name but he didn't respond. I even tried to touch him but... it was like he didn't know I was there." The sob caught in my throat before I could stop it and I hung my head, feeling the hurt and not understanding why it was there. "I felt the barrier there and I couldn't get through it to reach him. So no... He can't see me, not anymore."

"You really like him don't you?"

I blinked and glanced up at her, catching the smile that played on her pretty face. She saw my confusion and gave a nod. "You do, I can see it on your face. Besides, I've seen you hanging around the carpenter's shop a lot more than necessary." I had opened my mouth to reply but she simply laughed and looked toward the rolling waves. "You don't have to explain. I understand more than you realize..." She trailed off at that and I knew she was thinking about Jamie. I couldn't help but admire my friend, here we both were, just two women, pining for very grumpy and quiet men who either didn't acknowledge our presence or couldn't stand us.

I sighed heavily and followed her gaze. "Should I just give up?"

Robin was silent for a moment and I looked at her, catching the sight of her shaking her head. "No, don't give up. Unlike Jamie, I think that your carpenter might actually be more open. I say just be patient and let him come to you. He'll find you when you aren't expecting it..."

I studied her for a moment before I smiled a little and looked up at the sky, the stars were already twinkling into being. "Do you think so?"

I didn't look at her but I could feel her eyes on me and her voice was one filled with confidence. "Trust me... You don't need to worry."

…

Three weeks...

Three weeks and not a sight or sound of her.

He didn't like it, not one bit. He wondered if he had said something wrong to her that day or maybe he had rubbed her the wrong way. His brother had noticed quite some time ago that something was bothering him, had even made an attempt to get him to talk about it. Kurt had said nothing of course and simply ignored Joe until his brother finally gave up. Woody was a different story though, his grandfather was even beginning to notice the change in his apprentice and had made a comment on his recent work.

"You're distracted."

"Hm?" Kurt looked up, his hand ceasing in its movements. He had been sanding down the leg to a chair but his gaze had been out the window, watching the little ranch in the distance. Bob, the local shipper, had actually paid a visit to _Lavender Fields_ this morning before stopping by the workshop. Apparently Robin had grown some pretty decent crops from that dried up land. In fact, Bob had said, the type of soil that she was working with couldn't possibly have given out that kind of crop. Not unless she had been planting by a river or using fertilizer, none of which seemed evident...

_Dahlia... She must have helped in some way..._

"I said you're distracted." Woody gestured to the wooden leg, the frown deepening on his bearded face. "Look at this, it's way too rough. You could do this with your eyes closed Kurt." He focused his gaze on his youngest grandson, taking in the sight of the slight confusion on the younger man's face. A deep sigh slipped past the old man's white mustache before he reached out and took the sandpaper from his grandson's grasp. "Take a break. Go for a walk. I need your head clear before you can finish this order."

Kurt stared at his grandfather for a moment before passing a glance to his brother, who was sitting at the workstation across from him. Joe simply shrugged in response and gave a nod, apparently agreeing with Woody. Kurt frowned and got up from his chair without a word. He left the workshop and made his way around the back of the house to where he usually had his ax by the lumber shed. Of course he was distracted, of course he needed a break. He couldn't talk about what was bothering him though, not to anyone. Who would believe him anyway?

The rancher, Robin, was someone, but he had promised Dahlia he wouldn't mention that he knew of her...

He decided it would be best to vent his frustrations out on a lowly stump he had seen on his daily walks through the forest. It was near the entrance to the lake, a simple little stump that had been there for the better part of two years. He traveled down the curving main road before he located the area in which he had seen the little stump. He entered the forest and followed a little trail he didn't remember following before. His footsteps slowed as he glanced around at the forest, feeling as if there was something very different about this place...

It took a moment but he finally saw it. There were flowers here, not only the regular spring flowers, but also firefly flowers. When was the last time he had seen firefly flowers? At the Firefly Festival? No, they hadn't held that festival in years... not with in the traditional way anyway. Firefly flowers hadn't grown here in nearly ten years...

His thoughts were brought to a complete halt as he heard singing in the distance, a very beautiful voice was singing a song he had never heard before. Without thinking, he walked toward the sound of the voice, his boots treading lightly over the very green grass. He was being careful to not step on the flowers, a thought that never really bothered him as much till now. He couldn't help but feel as if this were a sacred place.

The singing was growing stronger with each step he took and he noticed that the firefly flowers were becoming more numerous as he went. The trail he followed was dotted with them, one or two every several feet. As he turned the bend in the trail, he caught sight of a beautiful, star shaped pond that was completely lined with firefly flowers and spring flowers. Kneeling at the banks of this pond, a familiar head of copper brown hair caught his eye. The singing was coming from her and she looked as if she was helping a flower to grow. Her slender fingers were caressing the buds of the flower, urging them to open as she continued to sing.

The flower seemed to hesitate for a moment before her voice changed to a lilting melody that seemed to make the flower dance. It petals opened and it bloomed happily, its green leaves stretching toward the woman who had urged it to awaken. Kurt couldn't believe what he was seeing at first, not until she had gotten to her feet and brushed the dirt from her jeans. She had turned around and nearly screamed at the sight of him. The firefly flowers, which had been glowing with an ethereal purple light, had dimmed considerably from that and some of them had even closed.

Kurt dropped his ax and held his hands out in safety, his quiet voice breaking through the stilled silence. "It's all right Dahlia... It's me, Kurt. You remember me, don't you?"

It took a moment before the panicked look faded away and those lavender eyes took on a sparkle he had not expected to see. She had dropped her hands to her sides and a bright smile touched her face before she could stop it. "Kurt? It is really?"

He gave a nod, his hands still held aloft just to be safe. He didn't want to startle her anymore than he had. It had been three weeks since he had last seen her and now that she was here, standing before him once again, he was afraid she would disappear again.

"I can't believe..." Her smile grew and before he knew it, she had slammed into him, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. A deep blush filled his cheeks as she nearly choked him to death. "You're really here! You can see me!" She continued to squeeze the life out of him but he didn't pull away, he stood there for a heartbeat before his arms found their way around her waist. He pulled her closer against him and held her as tightly as she did him. He was distracted all right and he didn't realize how badly he had been until now. Goddess, what had this woman done to him?

He stood there with her for a moment, taking in the scent of lavenders that always seemed to linger around her. He had really missed that about her. Another moment passed before Dahlia pulled away slightly, albeit reluctantly, and looked up at him with wide, lavender eyes. "How did you get here?" She looked as if she were close to crying but she shook her head before he could say anything and wrapped her arms around his torso instead, burying her face in his chest. "Oh never mind, it doesn't matter. I'm just so glad you can see me again!" She said, her voice coming out very muffled.

He had to admit, he hadn't been expecting that kind of a reaction from her but he wasn't displeased at the fact. Honestly, he was rather glad she had missed him, Goddess knows she had been on his mind nearly everyday these last three weeks. A quiet chuckle escaped him before he could stop it and he reached up to run a gloved hand over her copper brown waves. The scent of lavenders grew and he closed his eyes, taking in the scent and feel of her. It was so nice to know he wasn't going crazy and it was even nicer to know that she felt that same pull as he did...

It took a moment before reality took a hold of them and Kurt was the one to pull away this time, a slight frown on his face. "Dahlia, what happened to you? I hadn't seen you since that last time..." He trailed off at the thought, his deep brown eyes growing distant before he focused on her again. "Did I say something or do something that upset you?"

"What?" She pulled away completely this time and he didn't like that. It felt right having her so close, so near... "No, you didn't do anything wrong." She took a few steps back before turning around to face the pond. He couldn't see her face now and he moved around her, his deep brown eyes catching sight of the frown on her face. "I disappeared that day because I didn't want that old man to think you were talking to yourself. Just because you can see me some of the time doesn't me he can and if he caught you talking to thin air..." She glanced at him and he understood the meaning, yes he would have looked the way Robin had that first day. He would have looked as if he were talking to himself, not a good trait for one to have.

"Anyway, I tried to see you again the next day but..." She frowned and the look in her eyes was somewhat sad. "You couldn't see me... You couldn't hear me. I even tried touching you but I didn't get a response." She looked away and sighed heavily. "I thought you were upset with me, so much so that I couldn't even reach you." She turned to face him before he could respond, her lavender eyes bearing a pleading look as she reached out to take his hand. "I'm sorry for disappearing like that, I'm sorry if I upset you. I know you don't know me and I don't know you but..." She trailed off at that and hesitated, the look on her face growing much more intimate than anything he had seen before. "I want to know you and... I want you to know me, as strange as that is." She closed her eyes and shook her head, releasing his hand and sighing heavily. "I don't know what's wrong with me... I just-" She opened her eyes and a small smile appeared, her lavender eyes looking so hopeful. "I really want you to see me Kurt. I want you to see me every time I walk by your shop, I want you to see me when I'm working in the fields with Robin. I just want you to see me..."

Something had broken then, a crumbling of a barrier that he wasn't even aware of. Whatever it had been, he had felt it and the pull he had felt from the very first time he had seen Dahlia grew much stronger. He took in a breath and took her hand in his, smiling a little as he caught her gaze. "I'd like that Dahlia... I've been wanting to see you..."

A deep blush grew on her face as he reached up to trail his fingers along her cheek, feeling the growing warmth against her flesh as they stood beside the pond. Her smile was a sweet one as she reached up to grab his hand in her own. "You can call me Li if you want... My family and friends do..."

Her family, she had family. That was good to know, he was going to file that for later. There was so much that he didn't know about this strange woman and yet, he had found it so hard to try and forget about her. They stood beside Stardrop Pond for quite some time before a light appeared in Dahlia's lavender eyes. "Kurt, will you come with me? There's something I want you to see."

He was confused at first but he gave a nod, feeling that whatever she had to show him wouldn't truly matter in the slightest. She was standing here beside him, holding onto his hand and he found that nothing else had ever felt so right before now. She was smiling in an excited manner as she started to walk down the trail lined with firefly flowers, holding tightly onto his hand. "We have a long walk ahead of us but it'll be worth it. Trust me."

The oddest part was that he did trust her, beyond anything that made sense. He simply smiled in reply as she pulled him away from the pond and back toward the main roads.

…

I was scared, I could admit that.

He had found me, just like Robin had predicted, and he had seemed as surprised as I had. Whatever barrier had been between us had not been strong enough to hold up because here we were. I had taken Kurt to the Goddess Spring and from the surprised look on his handsome face, I could only imagine that he was seeing a Harvest Sprite for the first time.

I had told him what had happened to the Goddess but it still did not seem enough to simply stare at a statue of a woman on the hill. Granted, he had never seen the statue before but any skilled sculptor could have carved that and left it... No, it only took the sight of Carlos appearing from thin air to give the surprised look on the carpenter's face.

"Li Li!" Carlos ran right toward me, his little yellow clothes sticking out against the quiet of the spring. I laughed as I bent down to pick up my favorite sprite, twirling him around and hugging him close. It had been a few days since I had seen him and his brothers but I could easily say that I missed him the most. He was always so happy to see me, always was the first to greet me when I came around. He was the first one to take me to this world and I felt that connection with him the strongest.

He laughed happily at my obvious affection before I set him back down in his feet. It was at this time that Kurt finally caught his attention and Carlos' smile grew large. "The woodsman!" His smile remained before he noticed the strange silence emanating from Kurt. Carlos looked up at me and beckoned me closer. I kneeled down toward him and he leaned in close, his dark eyes growing wide. "Something is strange... I think he can see me Li Li, yeah?"

I laughed at that simple statement and looked up at Kurt's handsome face, my gaze settling on his deep brown eyes. "Yeah, I think he can..."


	9. No Coincidence

_No Coincidence_

She wasn't sure if it was a good idea or not...

She would have asked for Li's advice but the temporary Goddess was no where to be found. She had gone to check the pond that morning, had even thrown in a spring blossom to see if she might have been home. There was no response so that meant her friend was busy doing something else. She was probably running around the Forest of Streams again, foraging for herbs and flowers to ship since the crops took time to grow.

She was on her own regarding this one and she couldn't help but feel so nervous about it. She had no idea if he would accept her gift, the most likely response was that he would slam the door in her face as he had before. _What would make you think I would take anything from you? Idiot..._

It had hurt, she couldn't deny that, but she couldn't ignore that feeling she had of him. There was something about him, something that seemed to call out to her. She glanced down at the jar of Very Berry Jam in her gloved hands and took in breath. She had made it herself after finally buying a pot from the tool shop. Thankfully, Li had been the one to spend the time gathering the berries from the mountain so all she had to do was dig around in her fridge. She had remembered the old recipe her grandmother had for this jam and it was the best jam, of that Robin was sure...

Gathering her courage, she walked up to the door of Jamie's lavender home and knocked. A moment passed but there was no answer so she knocked again. Same response... She sighed heavily, thinking he must have been out of the house again when a sharp whistle caught her ear. It sounded as if it were coming from the pasture in the back...

Tucking the jam back in her rucksack, she walked around the house, ignoring the no trespassing sign posted beside the fence. Off in a field of grass, she saw him leaning over to pet his dog, his fingers scratching expertly behind its ears. There was a small smile on his face as he continued to scratch the dog, his blue gaze had such a relaxed look in them. She moved closer toward the rancher, her own smile growing at the sight of him. He looked so peaceful...

Without warning, the smile was gone from his face and he straightened. He turned around to face her and the the look of anger on his face was very intimidating. "You..." His frowned deepened as those blue eyes took in the sight of the petite, pigtailed farmer. "What are you doing here? I thought I told you not to come around here! There's a sign for a reason!"

Robin flinched at the open hostility but she didn't run away as she often did. Instead, she walked purposefully forward, a determined frown set on her pretty face. The grumpy rancher stared at his rival, a flicker of surprise appearing briefly at her own audacity. She stomped her way across the field, ignoring the chickens that scattered away from her. She stopped in front of him and stared up at him, her brown eyes looking very angry. She didn't say a word, she simply reached into the rucksack at her side and pulled out the jar of jam. She thrust it hard against his chest, so much so that he almost stumbled back. The surprised look on his face wasn't hard to miss and neither was the angered look on Robin's.

"I made this for you," she said, her cheeks growing flushed as she glared at him. "I thought you would like it but throw it away if you want." She stared at him for a moment longer before she turned on her heel and walked off, her brown pigtails flopping with each step.

Jamie watched her as she hopped the fence that bordered his land and continued up the main road, her fists still clenched in anger. As she turned the curve of the road, disappearing from sight, Jamie glanced down at the jar in his hands. He stared at it for a moment before a faint blush appeared in his cheeks. A heartbeat passed and then another before he took the jar of jam and placed it in his own rucksack...

…

_Knock, knock, knock..._

Robin was already awake when the knocking on her door sounded. She was standing in her tiny kitchen and making breakfast. Li was there as well and sitting at the tiny table, her copper brown waves pulled up into a ponytail at the top of her head. They both glanced at each other before looking at the door, where the knocking continued. Sighing heavily, Robin set the wooden spoon aside and walked to the front door of her home. She opened it and was greeted by a very enthusiastic, boyish voice.

"Hi there!"

Robin was staring at a boy, she had to be. She had never seen a man with such a childish looking face before. He had large dark eyes and sandy blond hair. He was dressed rather elegantly in a black vest and slacks, a white dress shirt adding some contrast to the ensemble. The red bow tie at his neck only seemed to scream "young boy" to Robin and she continued to stare at her guest. She heard Li get up from her seat at the table and walk up behind her, wanting to catch sight of the newcomer. Of course, the boyish man didn't notice the other woman as a faint blush rose up in his cheeks from the awkward silence.

"Ah, yes well... Nice to meet you! I'm Carl!" He gave a very enthusiastic wave toward the rancher, who continued to stare at him as if he were from another planet. He ignored the look and only smiled. "You're the new rancher, Robin, right? I heard about you from Theodore. I think it's neat that you decided to start a ranch here! I want to open a cafe in this village. A cute little shop that serves delicious cakes and teas!" He laughed happily at the thought of it, not noticing the strained look on Robin's face. "Anyway, I was coming around to tell you about the Egg Festival that is coming up. Usually we ask the villagers to donate the eggs but because this is such a small village..." He trailed off at that and sighed heavily. "We didn't have the festival again last year since there weren't enough donations." His smile returned as he perked right up and nearly scared the poor rancher from his sudden mood change. "That's why I'm donating all of the eggs this year! If you want, you can help too. There's a donation bin in the town square." A faint blush appeared on his cheeks as he scratched the back of his head. "If you want to help that is..."

Robin didn't reply at first, she was so dumbfounded by the strange man at her door she couldn't think straight. At least until she felt a sharp jab in her ribs, she winced in reply and glanced back at Li, whose lavender orbs flicked from her to the man at her door and then back. Robin caught the meaningful glance and looked at Carl, a smile appearing on her lips. "Ah, sure... I'll help."

"Great!" Carl once again didn't notice the stunned look on the rancher's face, he only continued to smile. "I'm looking forward to it, I'll see you at the festival. It'll be held at the town square in a week." He gave another wave before turning and walking back down the tiny walkway to the main road. Robin stared after the man before she shook her head and closed the door. She glanced at her friend, who had an amused smile on her face. Robin frowned in response and made her way back to the tiny kitchen. "C'mon, let's eat... We have some watering and foraging to do after this..."

…

The week had passed and before the town knew it, the Egg Festival had arrived it all of its yoke glory. Everyone in town had shown up, seeing as it was the first major festival since New Year and as it hadn't been held in a few years. The turn out was terrific and Mayor Theodore had been beside himself with excitement at finally holding the festival again.

Despite the excitement, no one noticed the copper haired woman bouncing from one stall to another, reaching out to help herself to various egg dishes that had been prepared. No one save for Jamie, Robin and, of course, Kurt. It was rather humorous to see Robin laughing her butt off as Dahlia helped herself to some of Ellen's omelets and to see the look on Jamie's face when she, in an oh-so-subtle manner, snatched an egg from his very precious egg pyramid. It was even funnier at seeing the looks on the villagers' faces as they noticed that some of their food was gone. Dahlia was having a blast at taking some people's plates and moving them to a different part of their table or to a different table altogether. They couldn't see her so they had no idea what was going on.

Her laughter was all that Kurt could hear as he watched her talking in a rather excited manner to Robin sometime later. Her lavender eyes were sparkling and he could tell that she was so very happy. There was music drifting on the passing breeze, it wasn't strong but it was there, a rather happy melody that sounded as a mix of strings, flutes and wind chimes. Kurt had never noticed how his home had lacked such music, had never noticed that this village was slowly dying from the inside out. Sure, people had moved away and some festivals had been forgotten... He just didn't realize how much of an impact it had to this town.

The music that he heard now, this strange and beautiful tune that played on the wind was a sure sign. After his visit to the Goddess Spring and after his strange encounter with the Harvest Sprites, he really took in the story that Dahlia had given. Seeing the Harvest Goddess as a stone statue really struck a cord with him and he agreed to do all he could to help the village remember the Goddess. The smile that had lit Dahlia's face now was worth all of the trouble.

She hadn't known it but Kurt had managed to get in contact with an old acquaintance, a man who was training to become a baker. Carl had listened to Kurt's request, the need for eggs for the coming festival and the urge to pursue his dream in opening his own cafe in this village.

"This town really needs to come alive again Carl," Kurt had said on the phone, his quiet voice lightly laced with pleading. "I know it's a lot to ask of you but it would mean a lot if you came back home and helped us with this festival. There are only two ranches here that supply eggs and it's not enough to hold the festival..."

Carl had listened with increasing interest and it didn't take much to persuade him. He agreed with the eagerness that Kurt had forgotten he was capable of and had stated he would be back in the village as soon as possible. That was a week and half ago and Kurt was rather glad he made the call in the first place. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits...

"Oh Kurt! I haven't heard such music before! This has to be a good sign..."

Dahlia, or Li as she insisted he call her, had rushed to his side, her copper brown waves were loose today and flying about in their usual frazzled manner. He couldn't help but smile in response as she turned around to gaze out at the small crowd of people. They stood there in silence, occasionally his deep brown eyes glancing down toward her. It felt strange to be looking at her directly and not have her disappear as she often had. He still hadn't gotten used to the fact of seeing her working in the fields nearly every morning with Robin. It was still a bit of a shock seeing her running past the carpenter's shop as she began her journey to the mountain to forage around early afternoons. Every time he passed her on the way from Moonlight Cave in the evenings, he would see her carrying a large basket filled with all manner of berries, flowers and herbs to bring back to the ranch.

It was those moments that he looked forward to the most, when they would run into one another and walk the way back home. He learned quickly that she wasn't much for conversation and he enjoyed the silence. Occasionally, she would point out a few things along the road, be it a squirrel that was foraging or at the river where Ray, the local fisherman, was sitting patiently by the banks. Once in awhile she would ask him a question: why did he he like mining as a hobby? What made him decide to be a carpenter? What was his favorite food?

She didn't bombard him with the questions all at once either, she seemed quite keen with only asking him one question every night. He found that he liked that most about her and he would answer in his quiet manner before asking one of his own. His questions weren't the ones he really wanted to ask, he knew that her very reason for being in this village was of a touchy matter for her. Instead, he would ask how the farm was, how had the foraging gone up on the mountain, how were the sprites...

He found that the from these simple questions she was more relaxed and quite happy to reply. In fact, she would occasionally let something slip while she spoke of her day. Sometimes it would be of what she liked to do for hobbies, sometimes it would be of her family. He had learned that she did have cousins that lived in a town far from this village, though she didn't go further into detail. He had also learned that she had had a very dear aunt that had used to visit Flowerbud years ago and had loved it. When he had asked where her aunt was now, the sad look on her face had been enough of a give away...

Over the week that had passed, he was learning little by little of the this strange woman and he found that he looked forward to each new day, just to learn something new of her. She hadn't touched him as she had since the first day he was able to see her again. He had learned that she was not an openly affectionate person. That momentary lapse in her usual calm demeanor had been thrown aside at the obvious joy of seeing him again. Since that day though, she was quite keen in keeping the space between them at a comfortable distance.

He didn't mind, not at first. Sometimes though, while he was working at his station in Woody's shop, he would glance out the window to the ranch across the road. He would see her laughing in the fields and the little harvest sprite in yellow would be with her. She would always smile with him, would hug him, and the relaxed look on her face was one that he wished she had with him. Jealousy was not something he was used to but whatever that little sprite knew of her was enough to gain her affection and complete trust. He supposed that the since the sprite was as magical as the woman he barely knew, it would only make sense. He just wished that he could gain her full trust as well. It would be so nice to have her smile toward him be as open and as honest...

"You're frowning..."

Kurt blinked in surprise, her voice pulling him from his train of thought. He focused his gaze on her to see that she was smiling a little but not in the way he wished she did. She had a look of concern on her face as she studied him, those lavender eyes he had come to adore so much focused on his own.

He shook his head after a moment and looked down at the ground, a faint blush rising into his cheeks. "It's nothing Dahlia... Li," he corrected himself as he glanced up and saw her smile grow. He liked that he could make her smile at least... "I was only thinking... Don't worry about it."

"Hm..." She only gave a nod but he could still see the concern on her face. She didn't push the issue though and looked out at the mingling crowd of people. The music on the passing breeze was beginning to ease and they watched as Robin slowly made her way over to Jamie's stall. She was reaching over, in much the same manner as Li had earlier, to try and steal an egg from the other rancher's pile. Instead of managing to swipe the egg, the poncho wearing rancher had reached out and caught the pigtailed brunette by the wrist. There was a faint sound of Jamie's usual hostility toward anyone that got too close and yet, Kurt could not help but notice that the rancher's usual frustration was somewhat lacking. Jamie didn't seem as annoyed as he had been when earlier, instead Kurt could see a faint pink tinge to the rancher's cheeks as he grumbled to Robin. Robin didn't notice as she continued to laugh at his reaction, the sight and sound of her amusement making Jamie even more flustered.

"I think she's getting to him," said Li, her stance now more relaxed as she watched her friend.

"I thought there was something different about him. He doesn't seem as annoyed as he should be," Kurt said in reply as a light smirk touched his lips. He glanced down at his companion to see the laughter shining in her eyes and he couldn't help but enjoy the sight of it. He loved it when her eyes would light up with quiet laughter.

"Well, for some odd reason, she likes him so maybe her affections are finding their way through that barrier he tries so hard to keep up."

"Do you think there's a reason he keeps that barrier up?" He looked away, not wanting to catch the thoughtful look that had appeared.

"Maybe... I can't speak for him. It'll be up to him if he decides to let his guard down around her... From what I understand, Robin has been making a lot of jam lately and leaving it for him." The smile in her voice was not hard to miss and he glanced down at her just in time to catch it. "I don't think he's been throwing it away so..."

Kurt could only study her in the comfortable silence that followed, enjoying that the silences between them were never awkward or out of place. When had he come to feel this way around anyone? He couldn't be sure... He couldn't even remember if he ever had a comfortable silence with his own brother. He did enjoy it though and he folded his arms across his chest, his smile becoming more meaningful as he continued to study this magical blossom that had stumbled into his life.

Across the square, a very worried looking Joe was studying his younger brother. Kurt had been standing by himself throughout the entire festival. Normally, this would not have bothered him, Kurt was usually very reserved in events like this. No, what concerned him was the fact that his brother appeared to be talking to himself. Occasionally, that spiky brown head of his would shake and then he would say something while glancing to his side, as if there were someone there... Joe couldn't ignore the growing unease as he continued to study his brother while Kurt stared down at his side, the distant look in those eyes speaking measures...

…

The days continued on in the small village save that a few more people had come to pay a visit. It was more than a good sign, it was a terrific. When the Flower Festival rolled around, the turn out was even bigger than last year and Flowerbud Village found themselves with another visitor who was interested in opening a shop to their little area.

_Lavender Fields _was doing well for itself and there were signs of construction evident as a chicken coop was in the making on that large plot of land. Kurt had found himself surprisingly busy as a couple of orders had been placed for entirely new buildings in the main section of the village. Most notable was the request from the local doctor to add a Sanatorium behind his clinic. Apparently, there was such an abundance of herbs being shipped from Robin's ranch, the demand for Alex's medicine was increasing to the point that he could afford to enlarge his practice.

With this new building, there was no doubt that more people would be coming to visit Flowerbud and the thought didn't exactly bring a smile to Kurt's face. He knew that it was for the benefit of the village that interest in this place should grow, that festivals were now being honored in their traditional manner, but that meant that a lot of the quiet places he had come to love were now slowly shrinking. For instance, a blacksmith had moved into the plot of land across from Robin's ranch and that meant another part of the forest that had been cleared to make room. It had hurt to have to chop down those trees and clear out those stumps...

The one place that Kurt could find solace was at Stardrop Pond. There, in that serene place, he could relax and enjoy the silence that he longed for. He did know that this place was special to Li, so much so that none of the other villagers even seemed aware of it as they walked by on their way to the lake. No, this place so deep in the forest was safe from anyone else and it was here that he would often find himself wandering to when he had his rare breaks these days...

"You're here again?"

Kurt nearly jumped at the familiar voice and he glanced back to catch sight of Dahlia. She was smiling at him as she walked up the faint trail lined with firefly flowers, her hands clasped behind her back. "I see you here all the time now." She stopped beside him at the banks of the pond and glanced down at the waters. A comforting smile touched her lips as she studied the pond before looking up at him. "The village can't be that bad, can it?"

Kurt only raised a brow in reply, the result being that she gave a small laugh and shook her head. She understood well enough that the amount of visitors and potential residents had increased since the Egg Festival weeks prior. It was the last day of spring, the end of the three month season, and in that time much had changed. Even Kurt could see that and she knew that he was one who enjoyed his peace. He had no where else to go and since the Sanatorium had been finished only yesterday, that meant he was free before he had to start work on a new bar and inn tomorrow.

This place was as quiet as one could hope for, not even the sprites lingered in this area since it was Li's home. She took in a breath and looked at her friend, the smile on her face growing as she held out a hand to him. "You look like you need a nice break from here. I want to take you someplace special... Will you come with me?"

Kurt seemed surprised by this request, his deep brown eyes studying her as slipped his hands into the pockets of his camouflaged pants. "I doubt that going to the Goddess Spring will be any more relaxing than here. I rather like the fact that none of the sprites are around, I hate trying not to trip over them."

Her laugh brought the quiet smile to his face and she simply shook her head, reaching out to take a hold of his bare arm. Her slender fingers were gloveless and yet despite all of the work she did, they remained so soft to the touch. He often wondered how she managed to maintain such an appearance when she seemed to live with her friend. At least that what Kurt assumed, not once had he ever seen her go anywhere else aside from Robin's ranch. There were no houses in this forest and she never mentioned that she didn't live on the ranch.

"We're not going to the Goddess Spring," she said as she moved closer to the banks of the pond, her sneaker just barely sinking beneath the water. Her smile grew as she saw the confused look in his deep brown eyes. "Don't worry, you'll see..."

He didn't have a chance to reply because at that moment a strange tingling grew at his feet. There was a strong feeling of warmth from the hand that gripped his bare arm and before he knew it, a bright flash of light appeared and the feel of solid ground beneath his boots was no more...

…

It had been so funny seeing the look on his face the moment we had been transported from the forest and to the same pond of the little island that had become my home. When we reached firm ground, he had stumbled on his booted feet and held a gloved hand to his head, the dizziness quite evident. Immediately, my amusement was gone and my grip on his arm grew firm. "I'm so sorry! I forgot that traveling that way makes you sick the first time. I've just gotten so used to it... I'm sorry Kurt. C'mon, let me give you something to help soothe your stomach. "

I helped him to walk from the pond and up the little dirt path that ran to the front door of my cottage. I opened the door and steered him to small table by the tiny kitchen. "Here, sit down and keep your eyes closed. I'm sure your vision isn't focused so try not to look at anything, it'll just make the dizziness worse." He sat down on one of the two chairs and kept his eyes firmly closed, the locks of brown hair falling slightly over his brow. I couldn't help but study him in that brief moment, it was still so surreal that he was really here and talking to me. I felt the warmth rise up into my cheeks when he opened his eyes and looked at me, a brow quirked up in question.

"Sorry, I wanted to make sure you weren't feeling too nauseous," I mumbled and quickly turned to go into the tiny kitchen. I opened up a cabinet and pulled down a box of herb tea. I pulled out a teapot and set it on the small wood stove before moving to the fridge to grab some of the sliced Green Herb that Robin had shared with me. I might not have had a bathroom but at least I had fresh running water from the pump that ran into an underground well. I often wondered how it was the Harvest Goddess managed to make this place to be so quaint. For a Goddess, she seemed to have some of the basic human necessities prepared. Despite having to use Robin's shower everyday, I rather liked my home as it was and did my best to make sure it was in good condition.

I ran the water at the sink and filled the pot before setting the pot on the stove. I grabbed the match set on the counter and struck a match. There was fresh wood in the stove already and the moment I dropped the match in, the wood flared to life. I closed the gate to the stove and straightened, a soft sigh easing past my lips. "It'll be just a moment while the water boils so sit tight."

I glanced at him at that moment and felt the blood drain from my face. I knew I had forgotten to put something away this morning. He was holding my aunt's journal in his hand and had opened it to the first page. It looked as if he had already finished reading the first entry and the moment I moved away from the stove, he glanced up at me. A deep blush filled his cheeks as he quickly closed the lavender book and set it back on the table where he had found it. "I'm sorry, I thought it was just a regular book..."

The silence that fell between us was the first uncomfortable one we had experienced and I didn't like it. I didn't say a word as I took the journal and walked to my bed on the other side of the room. I opened the drawer to the nightstand and set it back in its proper place, something I should have done this morning. The silence continued to stretch on before I heard his quiet voice behind me. "You know a man named Gotz?"

I blinked and glanced back at him to find that his deep brown eyes were studying me with keen interest. A light frown touched my face and I shook my head in response as the pot let loose a piercing whistle. Kurt gave no reaction to the sound and only continued to watch me. I walked to the kitchen and prepared the herb tea for him, though I doubt he needed it now. I took a clean mug from beside the dish rack and walked back to him, setting the mug in front of him. I could feel his eyes on me as I poured the herb tea for him and pushed the mug in his direction. "Drink it, it'll help with your stomach."

I turned to go back into the kitchen and set the pot back on the stove. I shut the stove off and moved to the sink to start putting away the clean dishes. I heard him as he got up from his chair and walked toward me. I felt his strong hands on my shoulders and he turned me around so that I had no choice but to look at him. "Li, we are friends, right?" His deep brown eyes flicked between my own as he studied me. "You know you can trust me."

I stared at him for a moment before I set the plate in my hand aside. I placed my face in my hands and gave a weak nod in reply. Yes, he was my friend and yes, I knew I could trust him. If I didn't trust him, then why could he see me now? The truth was that I was afraid, I was afraid that I would lose his friendship if he learned the truth of who I was. I was also afraid of growing attached... What I felt for him was only going to make things more difficult and once the Harvest Goddess was brought back to life, I would be going back to my own reality. That was a given. I didn't want to feel the loss and ache that my aunt had all those years ago. I didn't want to live through life wondering "what if."

I felt his hands wrap around my wrists and he pulled them down away from my face. I looked up at him in question and I saw the quiet patience in those deep brown eyes. He would be there to listen to me, he would be there to give his quiet advice. This quiet soul would be there, of that I couldn't deny, and I was afraid of that. I was afraid of what I might be seeing there.

"Talk to me," he said, releasing one of my wrists to run his fingers along my cheek. I felt the warmth at his touch and the butterflies that always fluttered in my stomach whenever he was this close. His fingers trailed down along my jaw before gripping my chin in a firm manner so I couldn't look away. I took in a breath and sighed, feeling my heart betraying me.

"That's my aunt's journal," I said, my heart growing heavy as the tears sprung into my eyes. "She had known a man named Gotz who lived in a place called Mineral Town. From what she had written, it sounded as if she were in love with him."

The faint surprise that flickered across Kurt's handsome face was not what I had been expecting to see and he caught my questioning glance. He released my chin and the surprise melted away to something a little more thoughtful. "I think... I think I might know who your aunt was..."

"What?" I couldn't keep the surprise from my own face as he took a step back and studied me, looking at me as if he were seeing me for the first time.

"Your aunt knew my uncle," he said as he folded his arms across his chest. "I have an uncle who works as a carpenter in a town a good distance from here. I remembered when I was younger that a woman used to come visit old Woody's shop and ask about him." He face grew more thoughtful as his deep brown eyes looked over my face. "I can't remember her clearly, I was just a kid at the time, but there's a good chance she might've been your aunt."

"Well, who is your uncle? Where is he now?" I asked though a part of me knew what Kurt's answer was going to be. If his uncle was still alive, he might be able to tell me more about my aunt and what she had been like.

The frown on Kurt's face grew and he gave a nod, looking as if he had come to a decision about something. "His name is Gotz and he's currently living in a place called Mineral Town. I don't think he's moved from there, not from the last letter he sent to Woody."

I nodded as well, knowing that I would have to use this bit of information for a purpose. My aunt had loved this village but from the entries that would appear in her journal everyday now, she had loved her carpenter more. Flowerbud was doing wonderfully now and the music I could hear coming from the trees and plants was much happier. I could take the time to go on a little journey... I needed to know more about Aunt Liz and from a person who was willing to talk.

"I'll go with you."

I blinked in surprise and looked up at Kurt, seeing the determined look on his face. "What?"

"You want to go and talk to him right?" He shrugged and a small smile appeared on his lips, that quiet smile I absolutely loved. He didn't smile often and I loved that he tended to do so around me. "I'll go with you. I don't know if he'll see you or not so it would be a good idea if you had someone there with you, especially if its one of his family members. I know the way to get to Mineral Town, it can be quite a bit of travel."

"Kurt, you don't have-"

"I know that but I _want_ to." He took a step closer to me and reached out to brush my hair from my eyes. "I'm just as curious about how it was my uncle had known your aunt. I don't think it was a coincidence and I don't think it was coincidence that we had met either..." I felt the blush rise up into my cheeks, seeing the intense look in his deep brown eyes. No, it couldn't have been a coincidence...

"What about work? You still have to get started on those two, new buildings tomorrow." I was looking for excuses, I really was. I was just so afraid of what I had seen in his eyes. If he went traveling with me, just the two of us...

"Well, I would hope you would want to wait for me," he said, the look that had been in his eyes fading slightly at the thought. He knew he couldn't just up and leave his grandfather and brother to handle those orders by themselves. He was hoping though, I could see it there. He was hoping he would still be able to come.

I closed my eyes and heaved a deep sigh in defeat, knowing that despite my best efforts, my heart had already betrayed me... "How long will it take before you'll be finished?"

I could feel his gaze on me and I opened my eyes to see that he had a smile on his face, not his quiet one but a real true smile. He had such a nice smile and I noticed that his eyes were squinting slightly at the corners. My blush was in my cheeks before I could stop it.

"We should be done by the middle of summer," he said, his smile never waning. "I'll talk with old Woody today to let him know I'll need the time off. He should be all right with it. He's told us before that we needed to go and visit our uncle anyway."

I smiled at the obvious excitement that he was feeling and I sighed, feeling as if a weight had been slightly lifted from my shoulders. Well, it would be interesting to see the other towns of this reality and I always did enjoy his company...

"By the way, did you know I love herb tea?"

I blinked in response and looked over to find that Kurt had gone back to the table and was taking a sip of his tea. A flicker of surprise swept across his face and he gave a nod in approval. "That's really good Li. Do you cook?"

He was changing the subject again, something a little more safe. I threw a grateful smile his way as I gave a nod in reply. "As a matter of fact I do. Did you want to stay for dinner? I was planning on doing some quesadillas and bringing some to Robin later. I don't think she'll mind if we ate before her."

Kurt only quirked a single brow in reply as he drank his herb tea, an obvious statement that read: do I even need to ask? I laughed at that and turned around to glance at the old grandfather clock that rested in the sitting area of my home. It was just shy after three in the afternoon, I might as well get started now...


	10. Where the Heart Leads

_(A/n) Thanks for the review Harvest! I promise you next chapter will be the journey to Mineral Town. Annie and Jay will be appearing, yay for sequels!_

_As a side note, the original story SW was based on a self insert and I took a few truths to work with that story. The character Aunt Liz is based on a real aunt of mine who is really dying of cancer now. I love my aunt so much and I wanted her character to be play an important role in this series. When you have the chance, after reading this chapter, be sure to go to your family members and let them know how much they mean to you and how much you love them. You never know when something might happen..._

* * *

_Where the Heart Leads..._

"So, how long have you been living on this island?"

Kurt glanced over at his companion, noting the distant look that appeared on her face. They had finished eating dinner and were relaxing on the beach. Kurt had been surprised that she had lived in a place like this and yet it suited her. A mysterious woman living out on a small island off the shores of the village. He knew this island and he knew that from the perspective of the village that there was no forest, no cottage, and no pond. There was only a rocky bit of land that bore a dock, where on occasion Ray the fisherman would take his boat and row out to do some fishing.

Li was silent for a moment before the distant look gave way to something more sad. "Almost three months now? I came here the beginning of spring so that sounds about right."

Three months? Had she been running around the island that long? He caught her gaze and he held it, his deep brown eyes studying her. "You're sad... Are you thinking about your family?"

She blinked in surprise before a small smile appeared and she gave a nod. "It's scary how well you can read me." She laughed and turned her gaze back to the ocean. "I was thinking about my mother actually. I haven't been in contact with her the entire time I've been here and I know she must be beside herself with worry." Her smile faded a little as she heaved a sigh. "I promised her before I left that I would always let her know I was all right but there's no way I can reach her right now..." She leaned forward from her relaxed position, brushing the sand off of her hands. "I was also thinking about my cousins. I know they're here somewhere but I have no idea what town they're in let alone how to find them..." She brought her hands up and rested her chin upon them. "I want to see them. It's been over a year..."

"Well," Kurt kept his gaze on her, watching the way the light from the setting sun played on her copper brown hair. "When we're done visiting Gotz, we can try and find your cousins. They can't be too hard to find if they're as unique as you are..."

For some reason a deep blush had risen into her light tan cheeks and she kept her gaze firmly on the ocean, though a smile appeared on her lips. "You might be right... I'd know Annie and Jay anywhere and I have an acquaintance who knows where to find them for sure..." She trailed off at that, a thoughtful look appearing on her face. Kurt was wondering what she was thinking of when she suddenly let out a gasp and got to her feet. "I almost forgot about Robin! She must be so annoyed with me!"

Before Kurt could say anything, she was dashing back to her cottage and disappearing inside. Kurt stared after her for a moment before he chuckled and shook his head. He got to his feet, brushing the sand from his pants and gloves. He made his way back to the cottage just she emerged with a covered dish in hand. She glanced at him and an apologetic smile appeared. "I'm sorry to keep you stuck here Kurt, thanks for having dinner with me."

Kurt only smiled in that quiet way of his as he reached out to take the dish from her. "I had fun and you were right, this place is relaxing." He glanced around at the surrounding forest and the small cottage before looking back at her. "You don't mind if I come over again do you? It feels nice being in a place away from everyone and everything..."

Li smiled as she started to walk the way toward the pond, a faint blush in her cheeks. "You're always welcome here Kurt, just ask me anytime."

"I'll hold you to that," he said as they stopped beside the banks of the pond. The moment her soft fingers wrapped around his bare arm, he couldn't ignore the warmth that spread from the contact. It was a warmth that had nothing to do with the magic that she was about to cast...

…

Summer began with a festival at the beach. It consisted of various members swimming to different colored buoys in a space enclosed by fishing nets in the ocean. It looked like it was difficult to maneuver the undercurrents but Li honestly could not say since she was sitting on the sidelines. Robin, Kurt, Jamie and Joe were the ones competing in the festival this year and Li was torn between cheering for her friend and cheering for her... well, other friend.

Of course, the only ones who could hear her were too far in the water so she supposed that they couldn't make out her voice over the cheers of the others. It was still a fun time though and it turned out that all of Kurt's hard work at chopping wood had payed off. After a close call between Jamie and him, he wound up winning the swimming contest. Robin wasn't too happy with that but then again Jamie hadn't won either so at least she didn't have to feel so bad.

It was funny seeing the deep blush on Kurt's face when Li had gone to congratulate him but Li didn't seem to notice as she turned her attention to Robin, who had come to join them. It was a good thing too, since Joe had been watching his brother from afar and had a thoughtful look on his face. From his perspective, Kurt had been talking to himself again and it was beginning to wear down on him. He was afraid to go to his brother directly to ask what was going on. Kurt had been looking a good deal happier for some reason and Robin would often talk to him, though she too tended to look as if she spoke with herself sometimes...

Joe had no idea what to do regarding those two but they seemed ok and Kurt's work wasn't lacking as it had been back in spring. He would just keep an eye out on him and hope that nothing was seriously wrong...

…

The days passed in a haze of bright heat, thunderstorms, and some humid nights. The construction of the new bar was well underway and was expected to be finished within a week. During that time, a couple of new people had moved to the village, two young women to be exact. One was the daughter of the local midwife Martha, her name was Gina and she was going to be looking over the day to day running of the Sanatorium. The second was actually a young woman who had come to the village to recover from a recent sickness and surgery. Her name was Dia and she was a very quiet young woman who appeared to be no more than eighteen or nineteen years of age. The first day she had come to the village, Kurt had been on his way to the Moonlight Cave, on one of his rare days off.

Alex, the dark haired doctor, had been helping Gina move the many belongings of Dia into her new home. Dia was standing outside, taking in the early afternoon sun. She was dressed in a deep green, tailored dress and much of her short dark hair was held away from her ivory face by a deep green headband. She had large green eyes that were staring off into the distance. It was as Kurt was making his way down the road that those green eyes had suddenly flicked toward him.

He had slowed in surprise, his deep brown eyes taking in the sight of those emerald depths. There was such sadness there but as quickly as he had seen it, it was gone. Instead, a slight frown appeared on her cherubic lips and she turned away, disappearing into the Sanatorium. It had been a very strange encounter and Kurt had found it odd that those eyes had continued to haunt him the rest of the day...

A few weeks after the Beach Festival, there was another festival that was buzzing with the local young adults. The Star Festival was a local tradition in which a little bamboo boat was released into a river, carrying your wishes out to see. It was a tradition set mostly to share with close friends and loved ones. Kurt found himself wondering if he should even bother... He wasn't the type to believe just wishing for things. Hard work was what achieved your wishes to become a reality.

Yet, whenever he saw Li running around the village in her hurried manner to help Robin, he found himself believing. Whenever he witnessed the small bit of magic that she was able to cast on the local plant life to help them grow stronger, he would believe. When he would hear the different kinds of music that played on the wind, in the trees, from the flowers, from every sound of life in the village, he would believe even more. All these little things meant something wonderful and he couldn't help but find himself wanting to make a wish, just once...

Which was how he had found himself walking up the mountain path in search of her, his hands tucked deep in the pockets of his pants. He was nervous, he could admit that. How was one supposed to ask a magical person out to a festival? Only he and a couple of others could see her so at least he now knew he wasn't crazy. Maybe he was crazy for even thinking of asking her...

As he crossed the bridge toward the Forest of Streams, he kept his ear out for the sound of Li, she was usually down here around the main road picking herbs and flowers. He followed the path through the forest toward the Goddess Spring, his deep brown eyes keeping an eye out for a familiar head of copper brown hair. His searching gaze found her a little off the main path, she was on her hands and knees with her basket beside her. She was pulling out a few herbs and singing to them while planting some seeds in their place. It looked as if they were the seeds to the herbs, though he couldn't be sure.

As he walked toward her, her singing was actually in tune with the soft music he could hear from the nearby stream. He stopped behind her and folded his arms across his chest, his quiet smile growing at the sight and sound of her. When she finally took notice of him, she didn't jump or nearly scream. She simply smiled and sat back on her heels. "Hey."

"Hey..." He continued to watch her as she turned her attention back to planting herb seeds. Her jeans were smeared with stains of dirt and grass, her hands were caked with soil. She looked so happy as she moved the soil back over the the seeds she had planted and got to her feet. She looked over at him as she bent down to grab her basket and set it against her hip.

"You look like something's on your mind," she said, walking over greet him. "What's up?" The words failed him, she was staring up at him expectantly and those lavender eyes had caught him off guard. He remained silent for a few moments before she tilted her head to the side and quirked a dark brow. "Kurt?"

He blinked and cleared his throat, feeling very nervous all of a sudden. "Um..."

Her laugh broke through his nervousness as she moved the basket to her other hip and then bumped up against him. "C'mon Kurt, it's only me."

Yes, it was only her... that was why he was so nervous. He reached up to rub the back of his head, his fingers disappearing into his spiked up, brown hair. "Well... there's this festival coming up. They call it the Star Festival." He started to glance around at anything but her, not wanting to see the reaction on her face for what he was about to ask. "It happens at sunset by a river. We release these little bamboo boats into the water with our wishes. It's a silly tradition... I don't really believe in just wishing for things but..." He cleared his throat again and felt the faint blush rise into his cheeks. "I know how much it would mean to the village and the Goddess if we started the tradition again. I... Did you want to come with me?" He took in a breath and held it, his deep brown eyes staring up at the canopy of the forest. A heartbeat passed before he heard her reply and his breath slowly eased out past his lips.

"Yes, I would love to."

He glanced down at her and smiled, a real smile changed his entire demeanor and reached his eyes. "Really?"

Li was smiling herself and a deep blush played on her cheeks as she gave a nod. "Yes..."

"A-all right then..." He rubbed his head again as they stood there, an awkward but strangely happy silence falling between them. It took him a moment to regain his senses and he quickly composed himself as he reached out to gently take the basket from her. "Here, let me help with that..."

"My hero," she said in a joking manner as she smiled at him before walking off to lead the way back down the main path. Kurt followed behind her, his own smile not quite leaving from his face.

…

_A few days later..._

I stood with my arms folded beneath my breasts, eying the entrance to the Moonlight Cave with growing unease. Robin stood a few feet ahead of me, her brown pigtails bobbing up and down as she bounced on the balls of her feet.

"C'mon Li! It's not so bad!" She had her hammer in hand, her brown eyes growing wide as her lower lip began to tremble. "I've been in there loads of times and so has Kurt! There's nothing to be afraid of, I promise!"

That didn't reassure me. Regardless of Robin's promises of our safety, my claustrophobia was something that would always haunt me. I had learned to accept it when I was a child and, going through therapy, I had learned long ago to try to avoid situations in which the fear would consume me. Sure, the caves weren't exactly an enclosed space but it was the fact that I would be underground. There would be no air, no sunlight... Already I could feel my lungs tightening in response to that image and I quickly cast my gaze to the cloudy sky above. Not exactly a great view but it definitely helped...

"Dahlia, I need your help on this one. I need some silver ores to upgrade my tools and Tai is much cheaper than the junk shop." She placed her hammer down and clasped her hands, now looking like a twelve year old girl. I couldn't ignore that face and, though I had a bad feeling about this, I sighed heavily and gave a nod.

"All right... fine... Just please let me hold the lantern. I don't want to be cast in shadows. You're absolutely sure you know your way around these caves and mines?"

Robin clapped her hands happily and she quickly nodded as she dug in her rucksack and handed me her lantern. "Yes, I've been down to the 20th level now and there's still more to go." She picked up her hammer and started to hum happily as I began to follow her into the cave. Goddess help me, I just had a bad feeling about this...

I followed Robin through the first level, seeing only a couple of the villagers who liked this area digging around. Kurt normally came here for his breaks but he was busy with building the new bar that he hadn't been here recently. I sighed as my thoughts drifted to the carpenter's apprentice, what was wrong with me? I knew I had feelings for Kurt, I knew it from the moment he had spoken with me that first time. I had hoped that it would pass as nothing more than a silly phase and yet... I sighed again as I thought about our last encounter. He had asked me to a festival with him, did that mean something? Were my feelings more than I was willing to acknowledge?

"Here we are!" Robin cried with excitement, bringing me back to the present as she located a set of stairs that led down to the second level. "This level is easy so just follow me, you'll be ok." She glanced back at me as I quickly turned on the lantern. I caught her gaze and gave a firm nod. Robin had a basic idea of my fear but she didn't truly understand it. Still, I didn't want to let her down when she needed me...

I followed the rancher down to the second level, where she struck a several places of dark stone revealing a few pieces of copper ore. Disappointed, she moved on to the next stairwell and continued on. I followed close behind her with the lantern held high as we moved down several levels of caves and mines. I tried not to think of the the earth above me nor of the darkness that lay beyond the light of this lantern. I focused my gaze on Robin's pink vest and concentrated on the sight of her hammer as she struck each dark stone. The further we moved down in levels, the more I noticed the strange structures that seemed to surround us.

They looked to be columns of some sort but they appeared to be very old. If I concentrated enough, I thought I could hear a muffled song coming from them but it was hard to tell when I was surrounded by nothing but earth. It took awhile but Robin finally found several pieces of silver ore and she quickly went to work on digging them out of the rough stone. I took in a breath, ignoring the taste of stale air as I moved aside a couple of steps to give Robin some room to work.

Without warning, a quiet vibration shuddered around my feet and before I knew it my scream was all that was heard as I fell down into the earth. I fell for just a heartbeat and landed in a painful heap to the level below. A sharp pain shot up from my right leg from the impact and I cried out, feeling and hearing something snap in two. The back of my head cracked against a hard ground and I winced, the pain from my head now matching that from what felt like my ankle. The lantern had slipped from my grasp and shattered into tiny pieces, its wonderful light going out with it.

I whimpered as I remained where I was, staring up at nothing but darkness. I heard a muffled cry from somewhere above me and a tiny light was shining down on me. I winced at the sharp brightness, knowing that Robin was using her tiny flashlight to find me.

"Dahlia!" Robin focused the light on me but I couldn't see her beyond that point of light. "Dahlia, are you ok?"

I lifted my head, opening my mouth to speak, but all that came out a cry of pain as a sharp twinge made itself known at the back of my skull. Great, a broken leg and a head injury...

The beam of light focused on me again and I heard Robin tear filled voice. "Li, I'm so sorry! Hold on, I'm getting help!" She was gone and with it she took the only light I had.

"Don't... Don't leave me alone..." A gentle sob escaped me as I tried to sit up but all that greeted me was pain. I laid back where I was and closed my eyes against the pressing darkness. Of course, it didn't matter since there was nothing but darkness behind my eyes as well. I tried to ignore the pressure that was bearing down on me, tried to ignore the growing panic that I felt at the unknown force that seemed to wish to harm me from all sides. "Please..."

I continued to plead over and over as my breathing hitched, I needed fresh air... I needed open space... I felt the tears slipping past my cheeks as the darkness pressed even further down upon me. I continued to cry before the darkness overtook me and swallowed me whole...

…

"Kurt!"

He was raising his small hammer, about to set in a nail for the slates of the bar's roof when the scream had sailed across the humid air. He paused and glanced around, trying to catch sight of the person who called him. Joe was on the other side of the roof and hammering slates down as well. He paused and looked toward the main road along with his brother. The sight of Robin running toward the building was not what they were expecting and Kurt set his hammer back in his satchel as he stood up. "Robin? What's wrong?"

Robin stopped just short of the ladder and started pointing frantically back the way she had came. "You have to hurry! Dahlia's hurt!"

Joe stared at the rancher, a look of confusion on his face. Dahlia? Who in the world was Dahlia? He glanced at his brother, about to question the identity of said person, but nearly paled at the sudden fierce look on Kurt's face.

"What do you mean she's hurt!" He demanded, ignoring the fact that Robin was now shedding a few tears.

"We were down in the mines looking for silver ores. She wasn't looking where she was stepping and went down through a pitfall. She hurt herself really badly."

Without a word, Kurt had rushed to the ladder and slid down with practiced ease. He ran past the rancher and toward the Moonlight Cave, not sparing the woman a second glance. Robin rushed after him, her brown pigtails flopping about as they took a shortcut through the nearby trees. Joe stared after them, the shock on his face a telling sign. Without hesitation, he put his hammer away and moved to slide down the ladder as his brother had. He rushed toward the Moonlight Cave, his own heart pounding with worry. Who was Dahlia? How come he had never heard of her before now? He swallowed back the unease and ran even faster, hoping that this person, whoever she was, was all right...

…

Kurt had been the one rushing toward the caves but it was Robin who led the way in. He followed after her as they ran past a few other villagers and made their way down the first set of stairs. Kurt had reached into his hip bag to pull out his own small lantern, the light chasing off the darkness. They descended each level while being careful to avoid any potential pitfalls. "Where is she?"

"We're close," said Robin, her voice thick with tears as they made it to the level where several pieces of silver ore lay abandoned. Nearby there was a gaping hole surrounded by a series of cracks. Kurt rushed past the rancher and was careful to avoid the weak areas as he held his lamp over the opening. A familiar head of copper brown hair greeted his vision in the level below but there was no movement. "Dahlia!"

There was no response and the panic grew as he tried to catch some sign of life. She was as still as stone and his heart clenched at the sight of it. He glanced at Robin, who had made her way over to him, and he held out the lantern to her. "Take this. I'm going down there."

"Kurt, be careful!"

He didn't look at the rancher as he bent down at the sturdy edge of the pitfall. "I need you to locate the staircase when I get to her. She looks seriously hurt so we'll need to get her out of here fast."

"Right." Robin gave a firm nod in compliance as she held the lantern out further, watching as Kurt's hoisted himself carefully down along the edge. He eased himself slowly down until he only dangled by his fingers. With a final grunt, he let go of the edge and jumped down to the level below. He knew these mines and caves well and there had been plenty of times when he had been nearly caught off guard by a pitfall. He knew the proper way of landing at such a height and the impact did little save for jarring his bones a bit.

The light from the lantern above indicated that Robin was still along the edge. He could see that the lantern Dahlia had been holding had shattered not too far from her. He quickly rushed to her side and kneeled down beside her. "Li?" He reached out very carefully to brush the hair from her face. He felt for her pulse against her neck and found that it beat steadily. He felt the the back of her head and nearly winced when his fingers brushed over a nice sized bump on the back of her skull. He looked over her limbs to make sure nothing looked broken. Her right foot was bent at an odd angle, it looked to be sprained or broken. His heart sank as he moved closer to her and very carefully gathered her in his arms. "Damn you woman... Just when I thought you couldn't possibly get in trouble..."

"Kurt, do you have her? I'm going to find the stairs!"

Kurt glanced up at the opening and gave a nod. "Go! I got her!"

The light disappeared then and darkness surrounded them. He kept a firm hold on her as he waited for Robin, all the while his heart was hammering a mile a minute. What would they do about her injuries? They couldn't take her to the doctor, he wouldn't see her. No one in the village really could... He cursed and focused on the feel of her heartbeat instead...

…

Joe was pacing the first level of the mines, his hands clenched tightly as he stared at the stairs that led down to the second level. By the time he had reached the caves, Kurt and Robin had already descended to the lower depths. Joe would have gone after them but he didn't know the caves as well as his brother and would've gotten himself hurt as well. So, he waited for them, not sure if he might be losing himself just a bit as well...

The other villagers in the mine had questioned him about what was happening. Joe didn't have a real answer to give so he simply shrugged and continued to pace. It was about a half an hour before a familiar pair of pigtails emerged from the staircase. She was covered in dirt and she was holding Kurt's lantern as she glanced back down the stairs. Kurt emerged a moment later, also covered in dirt and carrying an unconscious woman, piggy back style. Joe blinked in surprise at the sight of the woman, he had definitely never seen her before...

He rushed forward to his brother and the rancher, his brown eyes focused on the strange woman. "Guys, what's going on? Who is this lady? Is she ok?"

Silence greeted his questions glanced at the two of them to see that they were staring at him as if he had grown a second head. A heartbeat passed before Kurt opened his mouth, nothing came out and he closed it. Robin glanced at Joe then at the woman and then back to Joe, her brown eyes wide.

"What is it? Is she hurt really badly?" Joe was beginning to worry now and was beginning to grow uncomfortable beneath their puzzled gaze. "We need to take her to the doc."

Kurt blinked and glanced back at the woman, whose copper brown waves blocked her face from view. Her head was slumped against his shoulder and her breathing was shallow. Kurt glanced back at him and stared at his brother as if he were seeing _him_ for the first time. "Y-you can see her?"

Joe felt his heart drop, not liking the eeriness that question brought with it. "What? Of course I can see her! She's right there in front me!"

Robin glanced up at Kurt and her mouth remained open for just a second before her expression cleared. "If Joe can see her then Alex might be able to. We have to try and take her to the doctor."

A deep frown appeared on his face at the thought that Li might not get the help she needed. "You're right... I don't know what's happening but we can worry about it later." He glanced at his brother and gave a nod. "C'mon Joe, you can help us."

Joe was wondering what they were even talking about. They still didn't explain who she was and the unease grew even worse as they turned and rushed for the exit. "H-hey! Wait!" He cried and rushed out after them...

…

"Huh? What's going on here?"

Alex, the town doctor, was a young man with dark hair and equally dark eyes. He was always dressed in a white coat, even on his day off. It seemed it was a good idea that he stayed in the clinic today because the moment Robin burst through the front door she was crying for the doctor. Kurt had followed in after her, carrying an unconscious woman on his back. His brother came in a moment later behind them, looking confused but equally as worried.

The moment Alex saw the strange woman, a deep frown appeared. "Who is this? What happened to her?" He went over to meet them and quickly beckoned Kurt to the patient's area around the blue privacy curtains. Robin almost looked as if she would cry in relief as she and Joe trailed after the doctor. Kurt had passed the doctor and, with Alex's help, very carefully laid the woman down upon the bed. He took a small step back as Alex got to work on examining her.

"This is my friend Dahlia. She helps me on the ranch a lot." Robin stood at the foot of the bed and had taken off her red bandana. She was wringing it between her hands, her white gloves covered in dirt. "She was helping me in the mines and she fell through a pitfall."

"She has a nasty bump on the back of her head and she might have broken her ankle." Kurt looked very worried and he was keeping a very close and protective stance over her.

Silence followed this statement as Alex continued to examine his new patient. He felt for her pulse before his fingers carefully moved toward the back of her skull. The slight frown on his face indicated that she had definitely sustained a head injury. He continued to examine the rest of her before his practiced fingers settled over her right ankle. It looked swollen and was beginning to darken with bruising.

Alex sighed heavily as he rolled up the sleeves to his white coat and gave a nod. "It looks like a fracture but I will need to take a couple of x-rays to be sure. The injury on her head is a bit worrisome." He looked at the rancher, the thoughtful frown on his face revealing none of what he was thinking. "She'll need to stay here for a few days so I can run a some tests. How long has she been out?"

Robin looked over at Kurt, who glanced at her in question. Joe stood behind the other two, his brown eyes on the injured woman. He must have been seeing things but he could have sworn that a glimpse of something purple was appearing on her forehead...

"I'd say about an hour..." Robin replied, glancing up at the clock that hung on the wall. "We didn't go down too far..." She trailed off as the tears started filling in her eyes, the guilt on her face was a bit too much for Kurt. He knew that the rancher wouldn't have let anything intentionally bad happened to her friend.

Alex gave a nod, the silence that followed meaning that was all he was going to get from the emotional young woman. "Robin you should go home and get some rest. I'll send a message along the moment she wakes up."

Robin glanced up in surprise, her eyes wide as a look of panic flickered across. "I-I couldn't! She needs me to be here when she wakes up!"

Alex looked confused at this statement but the moment Robin turned her pleading gaze to Kurt, he understood well enough. If she woke up, whatever it was that she did to keep herself invisible to the villagers might just kick in again. If neither of them were there, she might panic as to what might have happened...

"I'll stay with her," said Kurt, his deep brown eyes meeting the doctor's gaze. "Dahlia doesn't speak with anyone aside from the two of us. She's wary of strangers and it would be best if she had a familiar face around."

Alex frowned at that but conceded that the carpenter had a point. "All right then. I don't know when she'll awaken but you're welcome to stay as long as you like."

Kurt sighed heavily and gave a nod, not liking the situation at hand but Robin was too emotional right now and it would be best if she went home to rest as well. Of course what would he tell Woody about needing to stay at the clinic?

"Take care of your friend Kurt. I'll finish up the work for today and let Grandpa know what's happened." All eyes focused on Joe, his usual cheerful manner replaced with something that was slightly more serious. He looked at his brother and gave a small smile. "No worries, ya?"

Kurt blinked in surprise but a quiet smile appeared on his lips as he nodded in return. Of course, he would have to explain to Joe exactly who Li was but that could wait. Robin let out a shaky sigh as she moved to the bedside and leaned down to give Li's forehead a kiss. "Sorry Li Li... I'm sorry..."

She straightened and looked at the doctor, the deep frown on her face speaking measures. "She will be all right, won't she Alex?"

The look on the doctor's face softened and he nodded in reply. "The human body is a wonderful thing, capable of healing itself of many things. She hurt herself but it's nothing life threatening. She'll just need time to heal."

Robin nodded and turned away from the doctor and gave a grateful smile to Kurt before she walked away. Joe rubbed the back of his head, an uncertain look playing on his face. He glanced at his brother and Kurt understood the look. "I'll tell you, I promise."

The look cleared from Joe's face and he glanced at Dahlia before turning and leaving the clinic. Kurt heard the door slam and he sighed heavily, wondering exactly how this was going to play out...

"Well Kurt, why don't you head on over to the Sanatorium? There's a nice selection of books in the waiting area there to occupy your time. I have to get started on taking care of... Dahlia, correct?" Alex looked at the carpenter, who gave a nod in confirmation. The doctor nodded, more to himself as he focused his gaze on his new patient. "Has she always been here? I don't remember seeing her around the village before..."

A slight smirk appeared before Kurt nodded. "Yeah doc, she has. She's just not a very social person so she doesn't come around the main part of the village..."

"Hm..." Alex said nothing more on that though he that thoughtful frown appeared again.

A moment of silence passed before Kurt reached up to rub the back of his head. "If... if it's all right with you doc... You mind if I just stay here?"

Alex glanced over at the younger man and his frown eased slightly, seeing the deep worry on Kurt's face. Oh, so that's what it was... Alex couldn't help but smile as he turned and started to walk toward the back of the clinic. "Sure Kurt, I could use an extra pair of hands anyway since Martha is off today. If you don't mind?" He glanced back at the carpenter, who quickly conceded to the request though his gaze was focused on Dahlia. "Great. There's a chair there so just keep an eye on her while I get some clippers. I have to cut off that sneaker before I can treat her ankle..." He disappeared around the privacy curtain after that statement.

Kurt stood there for just a moment before moving over to grab the chair that was settled in the corner of the room. He picked it up, vaguely recognizing it to be of Woody's handiwork, before setting it down beside the head of the bed. He sat down, the old wood creaking beneath his weight as he focused his gaze on his friend. His friend...

A light frown twitched at that as he studied Li's face, noting the smudges of dirt on her cheeks and forehead. Without thinking, he reached out to wipe the dirt away from her cheeks and forehead. He paused in the middle of that act in surprise. Friend... It didn't feel that way, not truly. He sighed heavily and pulled his hand away. He had feelings for her, he knew that quite some time ago. It wasn't until she had accepted his request to go to the festival that he finally realized that she just might feel the same way... Was he losing it? She wasn't even truly human, at lease she didn't seem so... He supposed it really didn't matter now, he already knew where his heart was leading him.

He sighed again and reached out to tuck a frazzled, copper wave away from her face. "...would it work?" He closed his eyes and leaned forward to press a firm kiss upon her brow. He could feel the warmth of that strange mark that sometimes appeared on her forehead, a teardrop and swirling knots the same shade of lavender as her eyes. It wasn't always there, only when she was feeling particularly happy or when she was casting her spells. She never spoke of it and so he didn't bring it up. She would share what it meant on her own good time. He hoped she would trust him completely one day to share all of herself with him...

Yes, he knew where his heart was leading him and, after this incident, he realized that he was willing to follow it now. He just hoped that she would accept it when the time came. He sat back against his chair and continued to watch her, not noticing that a particular set of deep emerald eyes were watching him from around the corner of the privacy curtain.


	11. Family Reunion

_(A/n) Sorry if this seems rushed, I'm thinking I'll be cutting this story down to 20 chapters. I want to get started on the next part of the series, that one will be with Vaughn. Thanks for the review Harvest! Here's the update as promised._

* * *

_Family Reunion_

She had spent the first night at the clinic, Kurt had spent much of the evening watching her before he had fallen asleep on the edge of the mattress, his hand gripping hers. It was how Alex had found them when he had gone to tell Kurt it was time to leave. Not having the heart to bother him, the doctor simply grabbed the blanket off the other patient's bed and threw it around the carpenter before retiring for the night himself.

The next day the doctor and his assistant Martha had moved Li to a special room below the clinic where an x-ray machine was set. He took a couple of pictures, determined that her ankle was indeed fractured and set her ankle in a cast. Her head injury was not as serious as Alex had feared and reassured a very worried Kurt that the she had only a slight concussion. That evening, Li was moved to the Sanatorium to recover. She hadn't awoken as of yet and Kurt was slightly worried that it might be because of something that even the doctor could not check. Robin had come to visit at the time and they talked about why it was their friend had not awoken yet. The rancher was as stumped as Kurt, at least until a bright smile lit her face and she ran off without another word.

Ten minutes later, Robin returned with a very reluctant purple haired rancher in tow, his piercing blue eyes flashing with anger as he tried (but failed) to undo the woman's vice like grip. The moment Robin pushed Jamie toward the unconscious Dahlia, the fierce frown fell away from the rancher's face. Jamie studied the woman for a few tense moments before quietly inquiring as to what had happened. Robin had looked down in response, looking guilty and sad while Kurt explained the accident with the pitfall. Jamie had said nothing in response to that, he simply studied Li's bandaged head. A heartbeat later, Jamie muttered something along the lines of "... she's just healing now... She'll wake up when she's ready to." He left without another word and Robin stared after him before running off to follow him.

Kurt was confused by that statement but didn't linger on it. There was nothing more he could for her so he had gone back home to deal with the consequences of leaving his job unfinished. Woody wasn't going to be pleased, despite the situation that had arisen. However, much to his surprise, the old man didn't make as big of a deal as Kurt had expected. The moment he had stepped through the door, the old man had glanced up from one of the work stations. He had been working on the beginnings of a dresser and was working on shaping the grooves for the top drawer. The old man had simply glanced at his grandson and studied him. After a tense moment, Woody had set his tool aside and straightened. "Joe had told me what had happened. Is your friend all right?"

Kurt gave a nod in reply, his deep brown eyes glancing out the window. "She will be, the doctor took good care of her."

"Hmph," Woody went back to his project and sighed heavily. "I suppose she is the reason you had suddenly decided to see your uncle."

Kurt glanced at the old man, a faint blush rising into his cheeks though he said nothing in response. The old man continued to work as he gave a nod. "When she's ready to leave, you let me know."

"What about the bar?" Kurt took a step forward, his heart giving a wild leap in response. "The inn has just barely been started. Dahlia was all right with leaving after the buildings were finished."

Woody glanced at his grandson, noting the struggle going on in the young man, between his responsibilities and his desire to go travel with this young woman who had stolen his heart. Yes, Woody had been young once, had been a traveler once in fact... Until he had met his own heart's desire... The old man smiled in reply and shook his head. "Joe and I will take care of things here. Besides, I think it's a healthy thing to go out and travel. You can continue your training with Gotz. I've trained him in everything he knows after all." Woody chuckled at that and set his tool aside, dusting the sawdust from his gloves. "I'll send a letter to your uncle first thing in the morning so he knows you're on the way. Your friend knows him as well?"

Kurt was so surprised by the old man's willingness to allow him to travel, he could only give a small nod in reply. He took in a breath as his mind wandered back to why it was that Li had wanted to see his uncle. "Her aunt... Gotz had known her aunt some years ago and she had wanted to speak with him..."

"Hm," Woody said nothing more and went back to his project. Kurt stood there for a moment before it was clear his grandfather wasn't going to say more. A bit confused by the talk, Kurt had left his grandfather and went upstairs to the room which he shared with Joe. His brother was up still, of course expecting an explanation regarding who Dahlia was... He hoped that Joe would at least humor him, he sometimes wondered if the whole thing might be some crazy dream.

…

_Two days later..._

"You've been here every day..."

Kurt didn't jump when the soft voice had spoken behind him. He had been quite aware of the young woman watching him whenever he came to visit Li. Dia had taken to speaking with Kurt after the first night Li was moved here. Kurt had found the dark haired melancholy woman to be quite a change from Li. While Dahlia was quiet in a thoughtful manner, there was an air of peacefulness about her that he had grown to enjoy. Dia was quiet in a manner that spoke of pure shyness and lack of trust in people, not that he blamed her. He couldn't help but see a bit of himself in her and he had taken to speaking with her as well. Though their conversations usually started with Li, it would drift to other topics, topics that Kurt had discussed often with Li what felt like a life time ago...

"I want to be here when she wakes up," Kurt said, after a meaningful pause had settled between them. He kept his deep brown eyes on the sleeping woman, his hand gently holding onto one of her own. Dia's deep emerald eyes had flicked between the two of them and a slight look of longing appeared. "You must love her very much..."

Kurt nearly turned a furious shade of red as he glanced at Dia, his deep brown eyes growing wide in surprise. "W-what? She's just a friend..."

Dia caught the uncertainty in his voice and she gave the tiniest of smiles as she tucked her pale hands behind her. "Well... I'm sure she feels the same..." She glanced at Li before turning and walking away. Kurt could hear the soft footsteps as Dia went upstairs to her own room. He waited a moment before he sighed heavily and turned his attention back to Li. Oh his feelings were more than just friendship, he had become more aware of that with each day Li remained asleep. His heart was leading him straight to her and he followed, although uncertainly. He still didn't know how she felt...

A gentle sigh caught his ear and he focused on the sight of her lips turning down slightly at the corners. He held his breath, feeling her hand tightening over his as she began to stir with a moan. She turned her head and his name slipped past her lips. She didn't wake up so she must have been dreaming. Was she dreaming of him? His heart gave a sudden leap at the thought and he couldn't hide the smile that played on his lips. He leaned forward and kissed her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Wake up soon Li... I'll be here..."

…

(_Li's POV)_

The darkness that had originally taken me had been cold and merciless in its embrace. I had been afraid, so afraid... I was somewhere beyond the reality I had grown to love, somewhere that I didn't like.

It seemed that time had passed but I couldn't sense it beyond my own prison and I tried so many times to find a way out. I couldn't find my way and I knew that I was lost within my own fears. I felt that if I had some semblance of a body here, I would have fallen to my knees in despair and cried. I needed to get out of here! I had to get back to Robin and Kurt...

"_Don't let it take over._" A soft voice spoke from who knew where and beyond the darkness, I could see a pinprick of light. I focused on the light and struggled through the darkness toward it. I just knew, I knew that was my salvation.

Minutes, hours, _days_ passed, before I finally reached the light and the moment my hand had stretched out to touch it, I felt warm fingers clasp my own. The light exploded and chased away the darkness, blinding me in its pure brilliance. As it subsided, I found that I was standing in clearing filled with beautiful flowers. A forest surrounded the clearing and off on the edge of the clearing, I could see an ivy covered cottage as well a round pond that rippled gently. I glanced up at the impossibly blue sky and felt a sudden calm wash over me. This place was like my own home on the island... It was sacred...

"So there is my temporary sister."

I turned in surprise to catch sight of a very beautiful woman standing a few feet from me. She was taller than me and she had leaf green hair that was styled in two buns on the sides of her head. A long braid trailed from the bun on her left side and it seem to float in time with the ethereal fabric of her dress. Her deep green eyes were studying me with excitement before she moved toward me and reached out to brush her fingers across my forehead. The lavender mark of the Goddess warmed in response to her touch and I could only stare as a similar mark appeared on her forehead in a gentle shade of green. Her smile grew as her hand fell away from my brow and reached down to take hold of one of mine.

"You're a Goddess..." I sighed in reply, sensing the recognition of my own at the feel of her hand.

"The Harvest Goddess of Mineral Town," she said with a smile as she started to walk, pulling me along side of her toward the banks of the pond. "I've heard so much about you. I heard you're doing a wonderful job at helping Flowerbud to remember its music." She stopped beside the bank and gave my hand a squeeze. "Of course, you're Annie and Jay's cousin so I should not be surprised."

I stared at her as she released my hand and reached down to gather a few summer blossoms that had been lying upon the banks. "You- you know my cousins?"

"Mm hmm," she nodded as she sniffed the flowers and then looked at me. "They live here in Mineral Town."

My heart nearly fell at those words as I recalled Kurt mentioning that his uncle lived in that town. "They live near Gotz?"

The Goddess' smile dropped slightly at my question and she studied me for a moment before she gave a small nod. "Yes, they do... How do you know of Gotz? I thought he hadn't been to Flowerbud Village for some years now."

"Aunt Liz," I said in reply, my eyes dropping down to catch sight of the surface of the pond. Who would've thought that Annie and Jay would be living in the same town as Aunt Liz's love? What were the chances of that? In fact, what were the chances that I would become friends with his own nephew? I was starting to believe Kurt, this didn't seem to be a coincidence...

"Lizzie?" The flowers dropped from her hand, her green eyes growing slightly wide as she stared at me. "She's...?"

I gave a nod at her unasked question, it didn't surprise me that she had known Aunt Liz. How many friends had my aunt made while she was here in this reality? I looked at the Goddess to see the tears in her eyes and her shoulders had slumped as she shook her head. "I should've known. Why else would you be here if not to take her place? I never thought though..." She sighed heavily and turned away from me, folding her arms beneath her breasts. "I didn't know that your aunt was a guardian of your reality until your cousins decided they had to go back home to her. She was sick, I knew that as much, but it wasn't until that moment that I found out how important she was as a link to our world." She looked back at me and the sadness in her eyes was great. "We need the passage between our realities to be at a minimum and your aunt had overseen that aspect. She was the key to ensuring our realities remained in sync with one another in a safe manner. With the Witch Princess watching this link, who knows what will come of it."

I sighed heavily and sat down on the damp grass, my eyes traveling back to the pond. "The Witch Princess was the one who had explained what had happened with your sister in Flowerbud. She wants your sister to be restored as much as we do. She wants me to take over as guardian and if I don't awaken the Harvest Goddess of Flowebud then... well, I'll be the new Goddess..." I didn't need to say more, she was well aware that if I became a full fledged Goddess, I could never become a guardian like my aunt. After spending four months in this reality, I found that there were times that I missed my own reality. If I was stuck here as a Harvest Goddess, I would never be able to see my old home again. I did love this reality but there was a homesickness in me I couldn't deny. I had to go back to my reality, there was just so much that had been left unsaid and so much that had to be done...

"You're doing well you know,"said the Goddess, she had moved down to sit down beside me in a very graceful manner. "It was a good thing that you slipped through that pitfall. Since you're asleep, everyone can see you now."

"I'm asleep?" I glanced at her in surprise, wondering how in the world I could be asleep when I was aware of everything going on around me in this place. I was sure that this wasn't a dream...

The Harvest Goddess smiled in reply and she reached out to brush her fingers along the surface of the pond. It rippled slightly before it smoothed over, much as my own pond at home did. In the mirror like surface, an image appeared and I could make out what appeared to be a bed. Lying in that bed, I recognized the copper brown waves of my own hair and I leaned forward, not believing what I was seeing. "How-?"

"Your human body," said the Goddess in reply as I studied the image of my sleeping self. My head was bandaged and I could make out a cast on my right foot, it was left uncovered by the blanket. I reached up to feel my own head and glance down at my own ankle. In this place, I was perfectly fine. The Goddess caught my questioning gaze and she smiled. "You're still human Dahlia but your own powers as a Goddess allows you to walk in the realms of the Harvest Gods and Goddesses. Your human body is healing while you are here in my own realm."

"Huh..." I glanced at the image again, slightly dumbfounded at the aspect that my own Goddess powers allowed me to become separated from my human body. We sat in comfortable silence, studying the pond when the image began to change. A man had appeared beside the bed, pulling up a chair and sitting down beside my sleeping form. I recognized that spiky brown hair and my heart gave a wild leap as Kurt had reached out to take my hand. I nearly gasped when I felt the sensation on my left hand and his name tumbled from my lips before I could stop it.

"He cares deeply for you."

I looked at the Harvest Goddess to see that she was watching the image, a distant look in her eyes. She blinked and a bright smile appeared as she turned her gaze to me. "I see now..." She giggled as she got to her feet and looked at me. "You should be heading back now, you have quite a trip ahead of you."

"What?" I got to my feet as well as I studied her. "What do you mean?" The Harvest Goddess laughed, a tinkle of sound that brought a smile to my own face. I wondered if it was normal for Harvest Goddesses to have some quality of music about them. Did I have that quality as well? I felt her gaze focus on me and I returned her gaze, feeling slightly breathless.

"Unlike me, you can travel physically beyond the waters of your own Goddess Spring. You can't make it to Mineral Town if your human body is still in Flowerbud Village. You'll have to wake up if you want to see Jay and Annie."

"I-"

"No, no!" The Harvest Goddess was laughing even more now as she moved toward me and placed her graceful hands on my shoulders. "No buts! You have to save my sister and to do that you have to wake up. I'm counting on you now!"

I could barely get a word in edge wise before I felt her pushing me toward the pond. A moment later, I let out a scream as I stumbled back into the water and felt a strong force pulling me toward a familiar place...

…

He was starting to grow tired but he didn't want to go home just yet, not if there was a chance she would wake up. A yawn emerged and he felt himself drawing closer to Li's bed, he could sleep here if he wanted to. No one seemed to mind for some reason if he did, they seemed to understand his need to be close to her. He felt himself leaning forward and he settled his head beside her arm, his right hand clutching hers close. She hoped she would wake up, he missed speaking with her...

He was just starting to drift off when the hand that had been holding suddenly gave a gentle squeeze. His gaze focused on her hand before a gentle whisper caught his hearing. He looked up and caught a familiar pair of lavender eyes looking back at him. The smile on her face was small and she pulled his hand toward her heart, her hold tightening. "Kurt..."

He smiled in reply to the sound of her of voice and he moved closed to brush the hair from her eyes with his free hand. "Hey, I was wondering when you'd wake up..."

She laughed softly in reply and held his hand closer against her heart, her lavender eyes welling with tears. "Thank you..."

Kurt said nothing in response, he simply smiled at her and leaned forward to brush his lips across her forehead. She closed her eyes at the touch and a gentle sigh emerged...

…

Now that Dahlia had awoken, there was no need for her to stay at the Sanatorium. Unbelievably, though she was now awake, Alex had no trouble seeing her when he had gone to check on her one last time. He had been carrying a pair of crutches for her when he made his way to her bed. Kurt had been with her as always and Robin was there as well, talking in an excited manner. She had come to the Sanatorium the moment Kurt had sent word that Li was awake. Li was only smiling as she listened to what she had missed the last few days.

When Dr. Alex had arrived on the scene and Li had turned her lavender eyes his way with a bright smile in greeting, the doctor didn't say anything in response. He simply stared at the woman in surprise, the color of her eyes having caught him off guard. He hadn't been expecting she would have such odd coloring, she looked as if she should have brown eyes. He had been expecting brown eyes...

When she had addressed him by his name, the sound of her melodic voice turned his face a fierce shade of red and he stumbled over a few of his words as he moved over to hand the crutches to Robin. It took a few moments (and an deep frown from Kurt) for the doctor to finally get over his sudden awkwardness. Her sleep had seemed to be just what she needed since her head injury had healed nicely but her fractured ankle would need more time to heal. Dahlia seemed a bit disappointed that she would be in the cast for several weeks while her ankle healed. The disappointment was mostly at the fact that she could not travel in such a state...

Kurt was quick to tell her that she would be fine on the crutches and the moment she felt ready, they would be leaving for Mineral Town. They had to catch a bus to the city and then hop on a boat that traveled to the town. At those words, Dahlia had brightened considerably and she had looked to the doctor to make sure that she was alright to travel. Dr. Alex wasn't so sure that his new patient should be traveling so soon on that ankle but from the expectant smile on her face, he couldn't blame Kurt for being smitten with her. There was just something very bewitching about her...

Well, the doctor gave her the ok to travel and there was little else to do save pack for the coming journey. Kurt had already bought the tickets for the bus and the boat, much to Dahlia's embarrassment. Robin was slightly upset that her close friend would be leaving her for awhile but Dahlia had made sure that the rancher was taken care of while she was gone. The harvest sprites were going to help with the ranch and since Li was the temporary Goddess, they couldn't ignore a direct order. It was a good thing the little sprites were excited at the prospect of working on the ranch. Flowerbud was doing so much better now, the music that touched her senses was filled with promise. Robin was quite capable of awakening more music in this little village and hopefully Jamie would be willing to help her...

It was, for the moment, out of her hands and she only hoped that this coming trip would be worth it. After all, she was about to see her cousins again... it had to be worth it...

…

Mineral Town was experiencing a usual hot and humid day. The Snack Shack was open and a few townspeople could be seen lounging about the sand and playing in the waves. Today though, today there was something in the air... An expectant hum that seemed to circle through the entire village. Gotz could certainly feel it.

He was standing on the beach just short of the dock, watching as the boat began to slow down. He was nervous, he had a good right to be. His youngest nephew was coming to visit him from out of the blue. He had received the letter from his father in Flowerbud nearly a week prior, explaining Kurt's sudden need to visit his estranged uncle. He hadn't seen the kid since Kurt was in his early teens, that was what a good ten or eleven years ago? What would make Kurt suddenly decide to visit him? It had to be something important but old Woody hadn't been clear in the letter...

"Yo, Gotz! Enjoying the beach for once?"

The middle aged man turned, his mussed dark brown hair stirring in the rising breeze. The tall and lithe form of the heir to Yodel Ranch was making his way along the sand, a dark red cap on his short dark, curly hair. He was dressed in a pair of jean shorts and a sleeveless white shirt and his sandals were kicking up bits of sand with each step. Off in the distance, Gotz could see that Jay's fiancee, Elli, was playing in the sand with her younger brother Stu. On the blanket behind them, Jay's older sister Annie was sitting beneath a parasol and holding her baby daughter up. The one year old was squealing with happiness as her tiny feet danced about the blanket. She had a head of thick, black curls and her tiny fists were waving every which way as she giggled happily up at her mother. Gotz couldn't help but smile at the sight of the family and felt a familiar ache forming in his old heart.

"Gotz, you all right man?" Jay had stopped in front of the carpenter, his hazel green eyes staring at the older man in concern. "Why are you standing here by the dock?"

Gotz took in a breath and turned to catch a glance of the boat as it finally pulled up to a stop. A muscle ticked in his bearded jaw as he sighed heavily. "Got family coming to visit..." He said, his voice was gruff and its tone was quiet. He didn't look back at the rancher as the younger man reached up to push back the cap and scratch his head.

"Family? I didn't know you had family..."

"I got a couple of nephews from a younger brother... He passed away a number of years ago and my father's been raising them..." The plank to the boat descended onto the dock with a thump and he could see a couple of people making their way from the rear of the boat. Was that Kurt? Who was that with him?

"Well, that's nice that your nephew is coming to see you. Gotta have family close, ya know?"

"Mm..." Gotz gave a nod in reply but said nothing as he watched the two young people make their way onto the dock. The young man was a spitting image of Gotz's younger brother. He had brown hair that was kept up in a spiky hairdo, a camoflouge bandana keeping most of it out of his face. He was carrying several pieces of luggage as he glanced back at the boat. Gotz watched as a young woman slowly ambled her way down toward the dock. She was donning a pair of crutches, the cast on her right foot an indication that she had broken something. Her copper brown waves was stirring in the wind and Gotz could feel his heart stop beating as he stared at her. She looked so much like... but it had to be the sunlight playing tricks with his eyes. There was no way... He watched as his nephew was quick to be by the young woman's side, the look on his face one of worry and of deep affection. What in the world was going on?

The couple slowly made their way up the dock and Gotz could only stare in shock as his eyes focused on the face of the young woman. There was no mistaking the resemblance, she looked just like Lizzie. Her hair was a different shade but those features were so strong. She didn't look exactly like his lost love but it was enough of a resemblance to affect him like nothing else ever had...

"Is that your nephew?" Jay asked and barely got a nod in reply as Kurt caught sight of him. There was no reaction from the younger man as he stared at his uncle before giving a slight nod in greeting. Yup, that was Kurt all right. Damn kid took after him in the quiet department...

"Who is that with him?"

Gotz didn't reply because he didn't have an answer to give. She must have been someone important if Kurt had brought her along for the visit. A few moments had passed before a sudden cry broke through the silence. Jay and Gotz focused their gaze on the young woman as she stared at them. Gotz was surprised to see that she didn't have Lizzie's deep brown eyes. Her eyes were a very beautiful shade of lavender...

"Jay!" Her voice carried on the gentle breeze, a lilting sound that stirred something long and forgotten in Gotz's old heart. She didn't seem to notice Kurt's surprised glance between her and the rancher at his uncle's side. Jay seemed just as surprised that the woman knew his name and he stared at her as if he had never seen her before.

She was quick to move on those crutches of hers as she ambled her way across the dock, quick to move as she stumbled along the edge of the dock and lost her balance. All three men were there to try and catch her but Jay was the first to reach her as she tumbled into his arms. Her crutches fell to the sand in a forgotten heap as she threw her arms around the rancher's neck and started to cry. The sound of her sobs were heart wrenching and they rose up onto the breeze. Her sobs traveled toward the women who were playing on the beach with the child and baby.

Annie and Elli glanced up to see Jay holding onto a strange woman, her crying bringing a sense of urgency to the young mother in particular. Gathering her baby in her arms, Annie quickly got to her feet and rushed across the sand toward her brother, Elli and Stu following quickly behind her. "Jay! What happened? Why is that woman crying?"

Jay heard his sister's voice and his hazel green eyes glanced up to find Annie rushing toward them, his little niece looked as if she was beginning to cry as well. "I... I don't know... She called my name before she tripped and she's been crying like this." He looked down at the woman, having a strong sense of deja vu as he stared at the head of copper brown hair.

The woman's sobs had quieted some as she turned her gaze up to him and pulled her arms from his neck. She gripped the front of his shirt tightly and pulled on it, her lavender eyes flicking between his hazel green. "Jonathan, it's me. It's Li... You remember me don't you? Your Aunt Maria's daughter?"

It took a moment but the recognition was instant and Jay's eyes grew just as wide as he stared down at the woman in his arms. "Dahlia...?"

Dahlia smiled through her tears as she gave a nod in reply, not caring the moment her cousin's large hands were cradling her face. A heartbeat passed as he took in her features and his smile was large as the tears welled in his own eyes. "It is you... I didn't recognize you... Your eyes... but how...?" He shook his head and started to laugh as he released her face and pulled her into a tight embrace. "I can't believe it! Li!"

She was crying again as Jay looked back at his sister, the tears sliding down his light tan cheeks. "Annie, it's Li... it's her..."

Annie, who had been dumbfounded by the entire scene, looked at Elli in surprise. Elli stared at her in turn before she reached out to take baby Anya from her arms. "Go..."

The farmer didn't need telling twice. She handed her daughter to the nurse and was quick to kneel beside her brother and the woman who was her cousin. She reached out to brush the familiar copper brown waves and Li looked up at her. The lavender eyes caught Annie off guard but there was no denying that familiar face. She always did bear a strong resemblance to Aunt Liz...

"Annie..." Li was still crying as she pulled herself from Jay's grip and reached out an arm to wrap around Annie's shoulders. Annie was still stunned at the fact that her cousin was even here and yet, the familiar feel of her quickly knocked it aside. Tears were slipping down her own cheeks as she moved forward and wrapped her arms around both her brother and her cousin. The siblings didn't know how or why but at the moment, they were holding a very familiar and heartbreaking link to their old home.

It was this strange family reunion that had struck something in the old carpenter. The heartache that he had felt since Lizzie's leaving came back stronger than ever and his frown was a deep one. He glanced at his nephew, who had been standing quietly along the edge of the dock. His eyes were on the young woman he had come with and a quiet smile was playing on his lips. There was something familiar in those deep brown eyes of his, something that Gotz had seen in himself many years ago... His nephew was in love with this girl... His own heart stirred at the thought and he looked at Dahlia, seeing now the funny way the fates liked to play. No matter what had brought about this strange visit and family reunion, it was a sign of something much deeper and much more painful to come.


	12. Gotz and Liz

_Gotz and Liz_

If you would have told me over five months ago that I would be sitting in a patients' room that belonged to the clinic of my cousin's husband, I would have found it plausible. If you would have added that the clinic was in a town call Mineral Town, in an alternate reality, I would have outright laughed. Alternate reality? Really? What were you smoking?

Yet, I was indeed here in this clinic, in this reality, watching as Annie's husband looked over my cast to make sure nothing was out of place from my fall at the beach. Annie's husband, Dr. Trent, who looked eerily alike to Dr. Alex, was a quiet man. He had dark eyes that seemed to stare straight through me and his dark hair fell casually over his brow. Oh, I didn't blame Annie at all for wanting to stay here. Her husband was terribly handsome.

Speaking of my cousin, she was standing just behind her husband with a one year old in her arms. The baby was obviously their daughter, Anya. She had Trent's black hair but her mother's curls and dark brown eyes. Her skin was just a lighter shade of tan than her mother's, a testament to the fact that our family's genes ran strong. She was big for her age, which meant that she would definitely at least have her father's height when she was grown. She was a beautiful baby and she was staring at me with those big, dark brown eyes brimming with curiosity.

"Everything looks all right, whoever set your cast did a wonderful job." Dr. Trent carefully eased my cast back down on the bed. I thought of Alex and his rather forgetful manner. While they looked alike, I could tell that Dr. Trent was quite an organized person. It was nice to know. Don't get me wrong, Dr. Alex was quite capable but I wondered how he managed without Martha and Gina's constant help.

"Thank you Doctor, I'm sure Dr. Alex would be happy to hear that," I said as an easy smile graced my lips. I looked beyond him and caught Annie's worried and questioning gaze. "If you don't mind, I would like to speak with my cousins. There's a lot I have to explain..."

Dr. Trent looked back at Annie, who glanced at her husband and gave a nod in agreement. He looked at me, the light frown on his face telling me plainly he was worried about my health but he didn't put up an argument. He moved away from the bed and went to Annie. He leaned down to give his wife a sweet kiss on the lips. I almost sighed at the love I saw reflected in their eyes for one another. I couldn't help but yearn to feel something like that for myself... Actually, I did, but the man that I was beginning to love I wasn't so sure that he felt that deeply for me...

Dr. Trent left the patients' room and it was only a few short moments before Jay walked in, his hazel green eyes focused on me. He shut the door behind him to give us some privacy. I smiled at the sight of Annie and Jay in front of my own eyes. I missed them so much and I was finally with them... The tears came before I could stop them and I looked over at Annie, who had moved over to my bed and held out Anya for me to take.

"Li, this is-"

"Anya," I said as the one year old quickly reached her small arms out to me as I took her from Annie and held her close. Anya giggled as my copper brown waves tickled her nose. Annie looked surprised that I knew her daughter's name and my smile grew warm as I held my second cousin close. "She's beautiful Annie. There's so much... so much that I need to share with you and Jay."

In response, both of my cousins moved to sit either side of me, not looking entirely surprised at the fact that my story would be a strange one. Of course, they had been in this reality long enough to know that not everything was as it seemed. I was so glad that my cousins were quite aware of this reality. I didn't feel as out of place as I used to after all.

I felt a tug on my head and I looked down at Anya, who was reaching out to place a tiny hand against my forehead. The familiar warmth of the Goddess' mark emerged and I closed my eyes, feeling the music of this town enveloping me. So much happiness and music... this was how Flower Bud was supposed to feel like...

I heard a gentle gasp from my right and I looked at Annie, a soft smile on lips. "I know, it took me awhile to get used to seeing it."

"Tell us..." said Jay as he moved closer to me. "Start from the beginning." He wrapped a long arm around my shoulders. I sighed heavily before I began my tale from the moment of Aunt Liz's funeral...

…

"Where did you meet her?"

Kurt was leaning against the wall of the waiting room, his deep brown eyes focused on the small hall that led to the patients' room. The nurse named Elli and the doctor, named Trent, were standing behind the counter in deep discussion. They were the significant others of Li's cousins, a story that Kurt would need to hear someday. He took in a breath as he looked at his uncle, catching the deep frown on the old carpenter's face. Of course he couldn't be surprised that the sight of Li would affect Gotz so. If she didn't have some resemblance to her aunt than it wouldn't have made her story so credible. No,what had surprised him was that Li's cousins were living in the very same town as his uncle. Who would have thought this world was so small? It was no coincidence, that was for sure.

"She moved to Flower Bud several months ago to help a friend of hers start a ranch," he said in reply to Gotz, his eyes focusing on the hallway again. "She mentioned that her aunt had visited the village years before and that she had been close friends with a carpenter." He left it at that, glancing quickly to his side. His uncle was looking particularly pale.

"Her aunt?"

"Mm," was all Kurt gave in reply as he focused his gaze on the hallway once more. The thoughtful silence that followed was all Kurt needed to know. His uncle did indeed find this bit of information a bit too close for comfort. However, Kurt had had a feeling it would be this way and the fact that Li was here only confirmed what he suspected. The only thing he wondered was what had happened between Gotz and this Liz? Why did they not stay together?

"I... I need a drink," said Gotz, the pale look beneath his beard an indication to how seriously he was feeling. He looked at his nephew and nodded toward the door. "It seems that Li will need some time with her family. Let's leave them to it, catch up and all. The bar and inn are the same place, we can get you and your friend checked in."

Kurt didn't say a thing as Gotz went to grab some of the bags. He grabbed the rest before uncle and nephew left the clinic and made their way to Doug's inn. The afternoon was terribly humid as they made their way down the road that was between the park and the land of the inn. The turned the right onto another road and walked toward the inn.

Once inside, Gotz made his way around the tables and went right up to the counter to speak with a red haired woman sporting a braided ponytail at the top of her head. The girl's father, who Kurt could only assume was the owner Doug, was watching him with keen interest. Once Gotz had checked in both Kurt and his friend, another young man sporting a long brown hair in a ponytail at the base of his neck appeared. He helped to take the bags from Kurt and his uncle, Doug moving around to help to bring them upstairs to his and Li's rooms.

Gotz took a seat at the bar and Kurt followed suit, both ordering beer. The inn owner's daughter Ann, (as Gotz was kind enough to inform his nephew,) had set the mugs of beer in front of the two men with a smile before going back to wiping down the counter. They sat in silence, the hum of the conversation hovering around them. It took a moment and a deep swig of his beer before Gotz began to open up.

"What was her aunt's name?"

Kurt stared down at his mug, the amber liquid still bearing slight foam around the top. "She said her aunt was named Liz." He noticed the flinch that Gotz had given in response but he said nothing in response to that. Instead, he took a gulp from his beer before continuing. "From what I could get from her, her Aunt Liz had passed away shortly before she moved to the village with her friend." The flinch was more noticible this time and he felt Gotz's eyes on him as he focused his gaze on the wooden surface of the bar.

"Liz is... she's... gone?"

Kurt couldn't ignore the hoarse sound coming from his uncle's voice and he glanced at the older man. The carpenter's brown eyes were brimming with tears, a shocked look on his pale face. Oh yes, he knew Li's aunt for sure. That much hurt coming from a man was not something he would give unless he honestly felt something. Kurt instantly knew at that moment that his uncle was still very much in love with Li's aunt even after all of the years.

Kurt frowned lightly at this as he carefully set his mug aside and gave a slight nod in acknowledgment. The choking sound caught the young man off guard and he was surprised the moment Gotz slammed his fist down on the bar. The loud bang brought a silence to the bar, all eyes focusing on the carpenter as tears ran down his pale cheeks. "She can't be... Not after all of this time... Not after I had hoped..." He choked up again and slammed his fist again against the wood of the bar as silent sobs wracked his broad shoulders.

No one made a move to the carpenter, they didn't say a thing. The shock that flowed through the room was enough to tell Kurt that this was the first time Gotz had ever shown such emotion. The younger man reached out to place a firm hand on his uncle's shoulder. "C'mon Uncle Gotz, let's go for a walk..."

The man didn't say anything as he allowed himself to be brought to his feet and steered out of the bar. The late afternoon sun was sinking toward the west as Kurt let his uncle down the road that passed a winery. They walked in silence, taking a left away from the town and towards a large ranch that rested at the end of the road. Gotz began to lead the way through the farm, barely giving a wave to a blonde farmer who was nestling a newborn in her arms. She looked on in concern as Gotz led the way toward the forest, obviously heading to his home. Kurt merely followed, wondering if his uncle would be all right after all was said and done.

Once they came upon the fair sized cottage that was nestled amid a clearing in the forest, Gotz unlocked the door and went in. His nephew followed suit and closed the door behind him. Gotz's cottage was much like Woody's save it had only one workstation and his living area was in plain view. Gotz went straight to his kitchen and dug around in his icebox for something much stronger than what the bar could give. He pulled out a bottle of looked like rum before moving to the cabinet to pull down a couple of small glasses. He glanced at his nephew and gestured to take a seat at one of the two chairs at the small table.

Kurt went to sit down and thanked his uncle as the older man set a glass of rum in front of him. He didn't touch it right away, his concerned gaze focused on his uncle. Gotz slumped himself in his chair and raised his full glass toward the ceiling. "Fourteen years Liz... Fourteen years and you kept your word." He choked at this and downed his glass with barely a wince. "She told me we couldn't be together. She told me not to wait, to move on and have a family." He slumped further in his chair. "I couldn't... I tried but I couldn't. I loved her so much and I couldn't imagine not having a life without her. I waited, foolishly hoping she would come back."

Kurt didn't say a word as Gotz served himself another glass. "I don't know what your friend, her niece... Li you said?" He glanced up at his nephew in question, who gave a nod in response. Gotz smirked at this and nodded. "Figures. She looks like her aunt, why not have a similar name?"

"Her full name is Dahlia," said Kurt automatically and he caught his uncle's gaze. At the sight of the quirked brow on Gotz's face, the younger man immediately looked away, hoping his uncle was not perceptive to his feelings to the woman. Of course, this was Woody's son...

The soft chuckle from Gotz caught his attention and their gazes locked. "So, you've fallen in love with an Outworlder too?" The confused look on Kurt's face was incentive enough and Gotz sighed as he set his small glass aside. "Liz was not from this town, she was not even from this world. She was what you would call a witch, a goddess, whatever would strike your fancy. She was not like you and me. She had this ability to perceive the very nature around her. She had this uncanny way to attune herself to the nature of this place without even trying. Everywhere she walked, the grass would dance and the very wind would sing." A far off look appeared in Gotz's eyes and shook his head. "She was a beautiful sight..."

Kurt didn't say anything at this, knowing full well that Li had that very ability. So that explained why she was so different, she wasn't from their world. No wonder she was so hesitant to go into her past. Sure, the thought of another world beyond what he knew was strange. He would have laughed at the the thought of it if he hadn't met Li beforehand. As strange as it was, it still didn't explain how it was that her family members were living in this town.

"We met fifteen years ago here in this forest. She was traveling through, on her way from Forget-Me-Not Valley. She was unlike anyone I had ever met before. She always wore that thick brown hair in a ponytail at the back of her head and those dark brown eyes were always sparkling with life. I fell in love with her with little effort." He paused at this and his face grew sad. "She stayed for a time before she finally traveled on, from what I remember, she had made a visit to see Dad at the village."

"I remember her," said Kurt, a slight smile touching his lips. After listening to his uncle's tale, it brought back early memories of the strange woman who had stopped by the shop many times. She had been beautiful, even at that young of an age Kurt recognized something in her that was different. Perhaps that was one of the reasons he had been so drawn to Li, that ethereal quality was something that was unique to them, something that drew a person in with little trouble.

Gotz smiled at his nephew before he reached up to rub his beard. "Aye, that she was. She came back to town a couple of months later and we picked up right where we left off. She had told me that she was from another reality than our own, that she was something called a 'guardian.' I didn't believe her at first, at least not until she introduced me to the Harvest Goddess of our lovely little town." He looked up at his nephew and was not surprised that the blank expression on Kurt's face was a sure sign. Of course he would have met a Goddess, if his friend was Liz's niece than that was a given.

"Li is trying to awaken our Goddess," said Kurt, catching the questioning look on his uncle's face. "Flower Bud has slowly been dying. We forgot about the festivals and we forgot the music. Our Goddess had turned to stone because of our neglect. If Li hadn't arrived when she did, we might have never known." Gotz could see right away that his nephew deeply loved this young woman. There must have been something about her, much like Liz, that caught his attention. "She's helping her friend, a local rancher, to bring our village alive again." Kurt smiled at this, the memories of the festivals and the music they had shared flowing up from the recesses of his mind. "Things are getting better."

"Is she going to stay once the Goddess is awoken?"

Kurt glanced at his uncle, catching the knowing look on his bearded face. Since Liz had not stayed for him then what was to say that Li would stay for Kurt after the Goddess was awakened? Kurt didn't answer but the frown on his face was enough. Gotz cleared his throat, not wanting to bring his youngest nephew down with his own depression. Li was not her aunt so who was he to say that she would not stay for Kurt? Her situation may be very different to what Liz's had been. He sighed, the fact that Liz had passed on without him bringing an ache to his heart.

"I had asked her to marry me, I had found this beautiful Blue Feather one day. I knew it had to be a sign..." He felt his nephew's questioning gaze but he did not meet Kurt's eyes. "I don't know why. I had this feeling that she was going to leave town soon, leave me alone like she did before. I didn't want her to leave. I loved her, she loved me, it made sense for her to settle down with me." He closed his eyes, the memory of their last encounter playing over in his mind. "She had this look in her eyes. She had been so excited at first and I knew she would say yes. Then the excitement died down to sadness... She told me she couldn't, she wanted to but she couldn't. She had responsibilities as a guardian to her reality and mine. She didn't think she could leave them for her own happiness." His frown deepened then and he shook his head. "She told me not to wait for her, told me that I needed a normal life with a normal woman. She said she wanted me to be happy. That was the last I saw of her."

Kurt knew the story from here. His uncle remained alone in his cottage, in this town, pining for his lost love. Would he be this way? Loving a woman who he couldn't have? His own heart ached at the thought. If Li left him... Would he move on? Could he? He didn't know...

They spent the remainder of the afternoon in Gotz's cottage while the older man listened to the stories of Li. He was smiling in a sad way, no doubt finding similarities between his love and his nephew's. Gotz didn't seemed surprised at the fact that Annie and Jay were Li's cousins. He admitted to Kurt that there had been something about the brother and sister that reminded him of Liz. Especially Annie, since he had met her first. He told Kurt about the strange arrival to Mineral Town's resident. That should have been Gotz's first clue to the strangeness that were the siblings. In fact, Annie bore a few similarities to her aunt, especially when she frowned or smiled. However, Li was a dead ringer for resemblance to Liz in that department. Save for the eyes and hair...

"Why is it that her eyes are that strange shade?" Gotz asked after a couple of hours, feeling slightly better now that the rum had numbed his heartache. Kurt was still nursing his first glass but looking more relaxed himself.

Kurt smiled at this and scratched the back of his neck. "I think it's because she's a Goddess, at least to some extent." His eyes took on far off look as he thought back to that day when Li had showed him the Harvest Goddess and the sprites. "She has these gifts that help to bring life to the land around her. Until recently, no one could see her save for myself and her friend, Robin."

Gotz saw the loving look in his nephew's eyes and he set his small glass down. That was all he needed to see and hear. He wasn't going to allow his younger brother's youngest son to experience the heartache that Gotz had to live with all of these years. "C'mon, I'm sure your girl should be done with her family. Let's head back to the inn, they should have brought her there."

Kurt could see the determined look on his uncle's face but said nothing of it. Instead, he drained the last of his rum and got to his feet. Both men left the carpenter's cottage and headed down the path that led back to the large farm...


	13. With Love, His Wish

_With Love, His wish_

_(Li)_

The tears that had been shed for loss of our aunt had been many. I knew that Annie and Jay regretted that fact that they had not been there for the funeral but I knew that they had already said their goodbyes. Once my story was told, I knew from the serious frowns on their faces that they took my situation quite seriously.

"So, you'll be a Harvest Goddess if you don't awaken the current Goddess by the end of this year?" Annie was cradling a sleeping Anya in her arms, her dark brown eyes focused on me. I could only give a nod in reply as I saw Jay pacing back and forth in front of my bed, deep in thought.

"I've had help though," I said, a light smile appearing on my lips. "Robin, she's a rancher there and one of my best friends. Kurt, he's the one who brought me here to Mineral Town when we learned that his uncle, Gotz, might be the very same carpenter Aunt Liz fell in love with. I was curious as to what had happened between them and I wanted to know if he remembered her."

"Oh he does," said Jay, pausing in his pacing as he looked at me. "There isn't a day that goes by that he doesn't have this sad look in his eyes." His frown grew deep at this and he sighed heavily. "I wonder how he's going to take the news that Aunt Liz is gone now..."

"Not well, that's for sure." Annie glanced up at her brother, her dark curls kept in a firm ponytail at the base of her neck. A few wisps still sought their freedom and curled around her ears and brow. "I'm sure his nephew would have said something to him. He always had the hope that Auntie would come back to him."

"You never told him she was sick?" I looked between Annie and Jay, seeing the guilty looks on their lightly tanned faces.

"It wasn't our place," Annie said after a moment as she reached down to lightly brush the black curls of her daughter's hair. Anya squirmed a little before settling back to her sleep. "If Aunt Liz wanted him to know, she would have told us to inform him. As it was, she never even mentioned to us that she knew Gotz. It wasn't until the Witch Princess told me their story that I had even found out."

I remained quiet at this, knowing that my cousins felt they had good reason for not saying a word. Of course, it was too late now to worry over. Aunt Liz was gone and there was nothing anyone, not even the man who loved her, could do about it. We remained there in thoughtful silence for some time before a knock on the door broke us out of our reverie. We looked over to the door to find Elli, Jay's fiancee, poking her head in through. She was a very pretty woman with short, brown hair that ended just around her ears. Her brown eyes went straight to Jay as her smile deepened before she focused her gaze on me. "Hello everyone, I'm sorry to interrupt. Dr. Trent thought that Dahlia might like to head to the inn. Her companion had already brought her belongings there."

At the thought of Kurt, a bright smile appeared on my face, a smile that I'm sure that everyone was quite aware of. "That would be great. I realized I hadn't eaten since we left Flower Bud early this morning."

"Well, c'mon then let's get you back to your man," said Jay with a mocking smile as he moved to help me from the bed. Annie laughed at the sight of the blush that must have appeared on my face, I could tell by the warmth in my cheeks.

"Whatever _Jonathan_," I replied in kind, a slight frown appearing on my face as he helped me up.

I heard Annie and Elli's giggle as we slowly moved out of the patients' room and out into the hall to make our way to the inn...

…

When we entered the inn, it was starting to become crowded with the local townspeople that came by for dinner and drinks. My eyes were automatically searching the dining area for that familiar head of spiky, brown hair. Dr. Trent had given my crutches so I could maneuver on my own so thankfully I wasn't hanging on Jay's shoulder the entire way. Annie and Jay had decided to come with me to make sure I was all right. Anya was sleeping peacefully at home with her Aunt Elli to watch her.

I couldn't doubt the happiness that was Annie and Jay's faces as they said goodbye to their significant others. They knew they had made the right choice by staying in this reality. I wondered if what I had been pondering since we left meant that that would be the right choice for me...

Thankfully, during my wandering thoughts, I didn't have to search long. Kurt saw me from his seat at the bar next to his uncle and he was to his feet in a heartbeat. He made a beeline toward us, his deep brown eyes focused on nothing but me. I felt the warmth in my cheeks before I could stop it.

"There you are. Are you feeling all right?" I felt his fingers brush against my cheek and I couldn't keep the sigh from escaping my lips. He must have heard me because the smile on his face had grown slightly and he leaned in a little closer. "I was worried about you."

A clearing throat grabbed our attention and we glanced over to see a knowing smile on Annie's face and a slight frown on Jay's face. There was a protective stance about him, his hazel green eyes focusing on Kurt's. Was my cousin playing big brother? A giggle escaped before I could stop it and I looked at Kurt, who was eying my cousin with a cool expression on his face. He moved closer beside me, his arm gliding effortlessly around my waist in support. My blush deepened.

"Uh... Kurt, these are my cousins. Annie and Jay, this is Kurt."

I glanced between Kurt and my cousin Jay, the carpenter's apprentice and the rancher. Their only common theme going at the moment was that they were both protective of me. I felt Kurt's arm tighten around me as he held out his free hand to my cousin. "Nice to meet you," he said in his quiet, deep voice.

Jay eyed Kurt's hand for a moment before he reached out to take it in his own. Their hands tensed against each other's grip, showing a manly display that got Annie to start laughing. A silent beat and then the frown cleared slightly from Jay's face and a hint of a reluctant smile appeared. "Likewise."

"OK, enough of this macho He-Man stuff, tell me how you two got together?" Annie was glancing between me and Kurt, her deep brown eyes studying Kurt with familiarity. Of course, Annie and Jay had filled me in as to how exactly they knew this reality so well. Kurt was one of the many characters in a videogame franchise back home that Annie used to play. She knew Kurt's basic background very well and she looked so happy to see me so obviously in love with him. The blush was in my cheeks without me even trying.

Kurt blinked in response before a slight pink tinge appeared on his own cheeks. However, he didn't release me, his hold on me tightened and I felt him pull me closer beside him. "It wasn't until recently. Li's a very special girl to me and it wasn't until her accident that I managed to finally figure it out."

The warmth in my cheeks deepened at this and I glanced up at in surprise. Did he... did he just say he had feelings for me? He glanced at me in turn and his smile grew as he saw the surprised look in my eyes. He leaned down and suddenly, right in front of my cousins, his uncle, and the locals, brushed his lips against mine. I swear, my heart stopped beating at that moment...

…

It seemed the most sane thing to do at that moment in time. That featherlight kiss was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. Sure, he had kissed a girl or two when he was younger but this... this electric feeling that tingled the very end of his nerves was completely new. The moment she responded in kind, her full lips stirring a heat in the very pit of his stomach, he knew he had to stop. He couldn't do this in front of her family and his own.

He reluctantly pulled away from her lips and focused on her face, her lavender eyes looked slightly dazed. He bit back a smile, rather glad to see that he wasn't the only one affected. She was leaning against him, her wild copper brown waves flowing loose about her lightly tanned face. He held her closer as he heard a few catcalls from the local men, a deep blush appearing in his cheeks.

"Well, you might wanna save that for later," said Annie, her dark brown eyes sparking with amusement. Kurt had taken an instant liking to the woman when they met. She seemed the most openhearted of the siblings and her frazzled, dark curls resembled Li's wild waves. It was true, he could see a definite resemblance between Li and her, especially when they smiled.

"Kurt, is this your girl?"

They all turned around to face the local carpenter, Gotz and immediately the dazed look disappeared from Li's face. She focused her lavender eyes on his uncle and she moved away slightly as she straightened as best as she could on her crutches. Kurt moved closer to her in response, rather liking the way she had fit so well against him. "Yeah Uncle Gotz, this is Dahlia..."

Gotz kept his brown eyes on Li, the grim expression on his bearded face speaking measures. She looked so much like Liz and that was all there was to it. He took in a breath and his tense posture relaxed. "It's nice to meet Liz's family... even if some of them didn't feel brave enough to admit that little fact." His eyes focused on Annie and Jay, who immediately began to look embarrassed.

"It's nice to meet you as well. I've read so much about you I feel as if I've always known you," said Li, the smile on her face was bright as she managed to get Gotz's attention.

"Read about me?" Gotz frowned slightly, no doubt curious as to where Li might have read about him. The sudden blush appearing on her cheeks was terribly cute though and she looked up at Kurt with a pleading expression. He smiled at her and leaned down to brush his lips against her forehead. That made her blush even deeper. "It's in one of your bags, I'll get it for you."

He gently pulled away from her and moved quickly around the tables toward the staircase that led to the rooms on the second floor of the inn. His heart was pounding a mile a minute as he took the stairs two at a time and went to his room to grab Li's bag. She was sure she wouldn't feel comfortable with her most personal items in a very public room and he had kept her satchel in one of his own luggage. Dashing to the last bed on the right that faced the window, he pulled out a large duffel bag and unzipped it. He found the satchel stashed in the very corner of the bag and undid it to pull out the lavender journal. Its cover was of music notes and flowers that bordered the edge but aside from that there was nothing out of the ordinary about it.

He paused for a moment as he studied Aunt Liz's journal before he felt compelled to open it and flipped through the well worn pages. He paused at a blank page that was toward the end of the book, catching the sight of slightly graceful penmanship making its way across the paper...

_I knew the moment I had said no that I had made a terrible choice. The crushed look on his face had torn me to pieces, even as I tried to explain to him that there was no way we could be together. We were from different worlds and I was... I was not good for him. I could never be there for him the way a normal woman could. I would constantly be away from him, always torn between my reality and his. My responsibilities would always come before him, I had sworn to that when I became a guardian. _

_He had asked me to marry him... He had found the beautiful blue feather I had ever seen, a local tradition in this reality as a way to propose. He wanted me to spend the rest of my life with him... me..._

_How I wished it could be so. So many dreams had flashed through my mind at that moment in time. Spending each day with him, making sure he had enough to eat before he went to work chopping trees or working on his craft. Spending nights watching the stars on Mother's Hill... One day hearing the pitter-patter of little feet against the wooden floors... Growing old... Living a normal life._

_I wanted it so bad I could taste it but I knew it could never be. I said my goodbye and left the reality, never looking back to him. My heart had died that day... I look back on it now and, knowing what I know now, knowing that I could have had that life by simply finding another to swear for my place. Oh how I wish... It's too late to dream though. Fourteen years too late. I just found out I have a terrible sickness and it's slowly eating away at my health._

_No matter what I would have chosen I still would have left him too soon. I suppose this was fate's way of showing me what could have been. My one true regret was not spending my remaining years with him. I hope that he has found someone to love him. I hope he has children now. I hope he is happy. I can go peacefully knowing that..._

_I love you Gotz. In this life and the next..._

Kurt stood there as the writing finished on the next page. The following page was a note to Li from her aunt, explaining the path in which her life would take and the choice she would have to make. He swallowed back the lump in his throat as a wild hope began to grow in his heart. There was a way for Li to be with him. Of course finding another person who would swear to take her place as a... guardian (was that what Liz had said?) that would be hard. Who would be willing to make such a willing sacrifice for another? Yet still, he had to try. There had to be someone. He loved Dahlia, he could admit that and he knew that she felt the same way.

He had his wish... Reaching back down to his luggage, he found a wooden box he had made himself. He opened it and stared at the little bamboo boat he had made for the festival. It had passed a couple of days before but it still couldn't be too late.

Closing the journal and tucking it, and the box, in the crook of his arm, he left the room and made his way back downstairs. He could see his uncle, Li and her cousins all sitting at a table waiting dinner. Li was looking shy but laughing as she listened to something her cousin Jay said. Kurt quickly made his way to their table and he kept his eyes focused on Li as all eyes turned to him. He stopped beside her seat and held out the journal to her.

"It's finished."

Li's eyes grew wide as she looked up at Kurt before looking down at the journal. She carefully took it from him before she opened it to the second to last page. Silence hovered around them as she read the very last entry and tears filled her lavender eyes before she closed the journal. She took in a shuddering breath and turned in her seat to face Gotz. "Here. My aunt left this for me but I think she only did so I could give it to you. It's her journal."

Kurt could hear the gentle gasp that escaped from Annie and he glanced over to see the frown that played on Jay's face. Gotz had grown slightly pale at this as he reached out to take the lavender book from Li's hand and he stared at the cover for some time. There was a look of recognition in his eyes at the sight of it and he ran a callused finger over the engraved cover. "She used to write in this all the time. I always wondered what it was she was thinking about..."

Li smiled at Gotz before she took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I hope you won't think me too rude but I need a breath of fresh air."

"I'll take you," said Kurt, leaning down to help her to her feet as he took her crutches in one hand. Kurt saw that Jay had been about to get up but his sister held back with a stern shake of her head. The brother frowned but said nothing as he sat back in his chair and watched as Kurt carefully lifted Li and helped her from the inn.

…

_(Li)_

Kurt helped me toward the door before handing my crutches to me and opening the door for me. I smiled at him gratefully before I moved at a slow pace up the brick walkway toward the main road. He followed behind me as I turned a left onto the road and continued to move in the direction of the beach. I had this sudden urge to be near the water, I could feel it calling me, almost close to what Stardrop Pond had a lifetime ago.

I heard Kurt's footsteps beside me as we walked, and in my case limped, in silence. We made our way through the main square of the town that was similar to our own in the village. We passed a couple along the way, a silver haired man and a short girl with light brown hair in a ponytail at the top of her head. They were standing under a lamppost and I could swear that her eyes were a similar shade of lavender as my own. Kurt and I ignored the couple as they did us and he helped me down the steps that led to the beach.

I leaned against him as he helped me across the sand, being careful to lift my cast so that no sand would get in between my toes. We stopped just short of the waves and I took in a breath as the sinking sun behind us turned the sky beautiful shades of orange, pinks and purples. "So it's finished." I didn't look at Kurt as I said this, he knew that it meant not only the journal but my time here would come to an end.

The Goddess would be awoken very soon, I could feel it the moment we left the village. Kurt didn't reply to this and he simply kept his arm around my shoulders. "We still have our wish."

I blinked before looking up at him, catching his deep brown gaze with my own. He smiled at me as he held out the wooden box he had been carrying the entire way. I frowned lightly in confusion before he removed his arm from around my shoulders and opened it. A little bamboo boat was resting in it and my gasp was audible. The Star Festival, it had happened while I was knocked out in the Sanitorium. Of course, he would still have made the boat. I just can't believe he would have brought it with him...

My smile was warm as I looked up at him and he took the boat from the wooden box, placing the box down in the sand. He held the boat carefully as he studied me, his spiky hair stirring in the rising breeze. "I know we missed the festival but we can still wish... The sea is just there so the boat's journey will be a little more easier since we did the work to get here."

I giggled a little and nodded as he took my hands in his own, our intertwining fingers wrapped around the little boat. He leaned in close and rested his forehead against my own, his eyes closing. I closed my eyes as well, feeling the music of the ocean stirring within the depths of my heart. His lips but a hair's-breadth away from my own. I could never forget the feeling of his kiss and the song that was playing in my heart. This timeless lullaby of the ocean made the feeling so much stronger. I wished with so much longing... _I wish to have what is most dear to my heart..._

We stood quiet for a few moments before he leaned into brush his lips against mine. He pulled away before I could respond and that quiet smile played on his lips. He took the boat gently from our grasp and moved toward the wet sand, his boots getting soaked in the rising tide. He kneeled down to release the boat to the waves and I watched as the gentle waves brushed against it. It rocked for a moment or two before it was captured and swept out to sea.

Kurt got to his feet, the knees of his camouflage pants now soaked and I couldn't help but laugh. He glanced at me and his quiet smile grew deep. He walked toward me and wrapped his arms around my waist, bringing me closer against him. "I hope it comes true. I need it to..."

I didn't ask what he wished for, I knew it had been the same as my own. Instead, I dropped my crutches and wrapped my arms around his neck. I nestled my face into his neck and held onto him tightly. His arms tightened around me and we stood there while the twilight came upon us, not noticing the gentle flash of light in the distance of the ocean...


	14. Let Me Stay

_**Let Me Stay**_

_(Li)_

A month had passed since that wonderful night at the beach with Kurt.

Kurt had begun training under his Uncle Gotz, who turned out to have his own unique style of woodworking. Kurt enjoyed the work and enjoyed spending time with his uncle. It was so nice to see a smile on his face.

My cast had finally been taken off and a brace was put it place. It was much nicer and I was able to finally take a shower on my own. I learned quickly that I would never take advantage of my limbs again. You never realize how much you can do until you break something...

Well, I was able to spend time with Annie, Jay and my baby cousin Anya. I had to say that I had never seen Jay and Annie as happy as they were now. There was something special between both Trent and Annie as well as Jay and Elli. Whatever their love was for each other, it was so very strong. I quickly found myself falling into that same niche that my cousins had formed and it was a struggle everyday to climb myself out of it. I was in love with Kurt, there was nothing and no one else for me. He had quickly become the center of my world and the fact that my cousins were living proof that that choice could become a very happy one made things a little more difficult.

For you see, the Goddess in Flowerbud was awakening soon.

I had seen the Harvest Goddess of Mineral Town several times since my arrival and she was keeping tabs on what was going on with her sister. Apparently, Robin and Jamie were doing such a wonderful job at bringing music back to Flowerbud. Jamie had become much more friendly to my best friend and had been by her home several times to give gifts. Robin was tremendously happy, from what the Goddess had seen. It was good to know that Robin was finding her love and that more people had moved into the the small town. The music that filled the very life of the town was almost reaching its climax. The town was almost as it was before... It was a sobering thought and one that Kurt and I tried best not to think about.

We seemed to have come to an unspoken agreement to enjoy one another's company as best as we could. After all, the only way for me to stay with him was to find another person who was willing to take my place as guardian between our realities. I knew of no one, my family members and friends had their own lives to live and I wouldn't want to burden anyone with such a choice. No, this was something that would have to be left alone...

Kurt and I, we had our time. As his uncle and my aunt before us, we would love while we could and cherish in the memories that were made...

…

More time passed. My brace finally came off and I was walking on my own unhindered. I couldn't be more happier!

The Fireworks festival had been the signal to the end of summer and had been so beautiful. Kurt had been my date of course. It seemed that there was some unspoken agreement between us. We were always together if we could help it and all of Mineral Town was aware of that fact. Something I was very grateful for. I didn't have to worry about competition...

That fall brought with it an unexpected and joyous occasion.

Jay and Elli were to be wed.

I had no idea, at the time Kurt and I had arrived we knew they had been engaged but we didn't ask when the date had been set. Since I was family of the groom, I sat in the front row in a reserved area of the Church of the Goddess, with Kurt beside me as my guest. It seemed strange to sit there in that church, watching as Annie and Claire, the local farmer and Annie's best friend, walked down the aisle with their respective husbands at their side. Elli looked so beautiful in her white dress, it was an off the shoulder number that had a white bow settled on the v-neckline. A flurry of white bows were tied on both sides of her white skirt, holding back the white lace to reveal a thick skirt of blue frills. A white bow acted as a headband and held back her short brown hair while a bouquet of Bluemist flowers that matched well the blue of her skirts were held in her gloved hands.

Jay was standing at the altar dressed in a white tux, the bowtie matching in the blue color as his soon-to-be wife's. His dark curls were free of any cap or bandana, falling about his brow. His hazel green eyes were focused on the sight of Elli just as hers were on him. They saw no one but each other and the moment Elli reached Pastor Carter, she grabbed a hold of Jay's hand and held on tightly. The ceremony went on without a hitch and soon they were pronounced husband and wife.

The townspeople celebrated in their own way, holding a party in the town's square in which everyone was invited to. I saw a number of strangers in the mix, people who lived in the neighboring valley who knew Jay and Annie well. I even saw a livestock dealer by the name of Vance, a good friend of Jay's, who was entertaining a few of the men with tales from abroad.

Children were running to and fro, enjoying the freedom that came with being with others of their own age. The music in this town was so lively and free, filled with laughter and love. I imagined, as I had many times before, my own home of Flowerbud sounding much this way. It was happiness, true happiness...

"Dance with me," said a deep and familiar voice, a rough hand grabbing my own.

I glanced up at the familiar face of Kurt, the bandana that held back the spiky locks of his brown hair was the same shade of blue as my own dress. We were still clothed in our respectable wedding attire for the reception and I was thankful that Kurt had not wanted to change just yet. He looked so handsome...

I could feel the blush in my cheeks as I followed him out to the middle of the town square, where a good number of couples were dancing. His arm was around my waist and his hand held mine as he led me about in a slow dance. I didn't know that Kurt was such a graceful dancer but it was a pleasant surprise to say the least. The music that played was from a large stereo system that sat near the entrance to the square and other couples were enjoying the slow song, especially the bride and groom.

"You look beautiful today Li," said Kurt, his brown eyes focused on mine as we danced slowly beneath the lights of the lanterns. The evening had come and it was filled with the scent of the open sea and the sight of lingering fireflies off in the distance of the park.

I felt the warmth in my cheeks before I could stop it and I looked away, trying not to see what I hoped was there. My love for Kurt was overflowing at this moment and I leaned closer to him, not wanting to ruin the moment with promises of love that would possibly be broken. "You always look handsome Kurt..." I said, trailing off as the sadness began to touch my heart.

We continued to dance, oblivious to all that was going on around us. I didn't notice that my cousin Annie was watching us from afar, a expectant and anxious look on her face as she danced with Trent. The music continued to flow and I felt Kurt's arm tighten around my waist. He pulled me closer against his strong chest and I felt his lips by my ear. "Dahlia, come with me..."

I felt my blush deepen but I didn't protest as he led me away from the dancing crowd and toward the steps that led to the beach. I held up the skirts of my blue dress, unsure as to why Kurt was leading me away from the others. We continued on along the beach toward the shore, the crashing waves singing with a timeless music all its own. It was here that Kurt stopped and he turned to face me, keeping a hold of my left hand as he took in a breath.

"Li, you've become my closest friend. I feel I can tell you anything. You've always listened to me no matter what it would be." He reached into the pocket of his dark blue coat, a faint blush evident in his cheeks. I could feel my heart beginning to pound as he pulled something out and the hand that held my left one tightened slightly in apprehension. I could hear the audible sound of his throat swallowing as the hand that held the item began to tremble, a gentle waver that made my heart pound worse than before.

"I..." He took in a breath, held it for a moment, and then let it loose in a single breath. "I'm... in love with you Dahlia. I don't want to go another day of pretending that what I feel isn't right." He opened his hand then and he held out a golden ring, a smooth stone was set into it and it looked to be the color of lavender. The tears were in my eyes and I felt my throat grow tight with emotion.

"I made this myself. The blacksmith had it from a recent import and I bought it straight away. It reminded me of your eyes... Saibara called it a lavender jade." He leaned slightly closer and his brown eyes held a myriad of emotions that I couldn't name. He was reflecting what I felt at this moment...

"It's not a blue feather but it doesn't have to be. There is nothing traditional about our relationship and I wanted to do it the way you deserve it to be done." He cleared his throat and slowly got down on one knee. "Your cousins told me this is the way it's done where you're from..." He held out the ring then, his eyes focused on mine. I had never thought to see such love in those brown eyes...

"I would be honored to spend the rest of my days with you by my side Li." He held out the ring further and his nervousness began to truly show, his hand was trembling something fierce. It was even worse than my own. "Will you be my wife?"

I was breathless.

The silence was heavy and I didn't know how to respond, I was caught so off guard... I didn't realize how bad my silence had been until the hand that held the lavender ring began to lower. A disappointed look appeared on his handsome face and it was a look I never, _ever_, wanted to see on his face again.

"Yes," I said with a gasping breath as I took a hold of his hand that held the ring, not noticing that the hand that held my left had suddenly tightened. I nodded furiously as I kneeled down in the sand with him, my tears flowing freely from my eyes.

Kurt stared straight into my eyes as a slightly hopeful smile touched his lips. "Yes? Did you say yes?"

I laughed as I nodded again, releasing his hand and taking the ring from his slackened grip, slipping it on the ring finger of my left hand. "Yes, I will be your wife. I love you so much Kurt. Marrying you would only make me the happiest woman..."

Kurt let out a whoop of pure joy as he got up, pulling me up with him and taking me into a tight hug. He held me up and swung me around once, my laughter breaking through the sound of the waves. He lowered me to the sand and kissed me, his lips eagerly seeking my own. I responded with as much emotion, happily surrendering into his embrace.

It wasn't until the sound of clapping and cheering filled the air that Kurt and I broke apart. We looked over to catch the people of Mineral Town were gathered around the base of the steps to the town square. Annie and Trent, Jay and Elli, and Kurt's uncle Gotz were quickly making their way over the sand toward us. We pulled away from each other, blushes of embarrassment on our faces, only for me to pulled into a tight embrace by Annie and Elli.

"Finally! I was wondering when he would pop the question!" Annie said as she rocked me back and forth before releasing me.

Elli held onto my arm and she was gushing over the engagement ring, that was different from her own sapphire one. "That is such a pretty stone! I've never seen that before. Oh Li, I'm so happy for you!"

"When will the wedding be?" Claire asked as she joined the rest of us, her blonde locks were held up in an intricate knot at the base of her neck. Her bridesmaid's dress was the same shade of blue as Annie's and my own, though slightly different in style.

"Tomorrow," was Kurt's reply and I looked at him in shock, a deep blush in my cheeks.

"What?"

Kurt pulled me into his arms and kissed me firmly, cutting off any protests I might I have had. He pulled away after a heartbeat and gave me that slight, crooked smile I always loved. "I love you. I don't want to waste another day."

His words held another meaning, the short time we had remaining was all due to the Harvest Goddess still sleeping in stone. Each day that passed brought her closer to awakening and who knew what would happen to me after this was done...

"All right," I said, a gentle smile growing on my lips. "Tomorrow then..."

"Another wedding!" cried one of the older women of the town, a lady named Manna I recalled. She didn't look as devastated as she sounded. In fact, she looked terribly excited.

"We'll have more to celebrate then," said Gotz, a look approval on his face as a smile lingered on his bearded face.

I glanced up at Kurt and couldn't fight down the happy smile that always appeared when I was near him. Kurt held me closer in response and placed an affectionate kiss against my temple...

That was last thing I felt before my heart gave a particularly strong beat and my hold on this world seemed to disconnect. The sounds that had been reaching my ears became muffled and my sight became blurry. I felt that things were flickering in and out of focus. I didn't even hear Kurt calling my name, his hold on me was tighter than it should have been...

I looked up at the faces of the ones I loved, Annie and Jay, my only love Kurt... Of course, what timing...

I felt myself falling to my knees and I began to cry at the cruelness of it all. She was awake now... The Goddess of Flowerbud had returned and I was no longer needed in this reality... I could feel my connection growing weaker by the second and I focused instead on Kurt's brown eyes. I knew I was fading from their sight, my own Goddess powers were waning and my sole reason for existing in this reality was becoming a moot point.

Expect, my sole reason was not this any longer. Kurt had become my reason for wanting to stay. Robin was another strong reason, my best friend who believed in me when no one else could. My cousins, Annie and Jay, my family by name and by blood, were another strong reason. And Flowerbud, all of its residents in their entirety...

This world was my home and I didn't want to leave it. I missed my old home but only to keep the promise I made to my mother so long ago on that day that was Aunt Liz's funeral. I wanted to let her know where I was and that I was happy. I was living and I was happy... just like Aunt Anya had told her of her own children...

_When you've experienced the loss of a child, when you feel that you had truly lost them... and you find that they were_ living _and they were _happy_. You'll understand that's it's all right to _let go_... As long as they're happy..._

I mentally cried out to the Harvest Goddesses of Mineral Town and Flowerbud, screaming my love for my friends and family to them with the last of my powers. I begged of them to let me stay. I pleaded with them to leave me here in this place I called home. _This_ was where I belonged and where I needed to stay. If they knew of anyone, _anyone_, who would take my place as guardian... I didn't want to live as my Aunt Liz had... I _needed_ to stay. My life was spoken for the moment my eyes had met Kurt's on that main road on Flowerbud...

I had made my choice.

_I need to stay! Please! Let me stay!_


	15. Her Choice

_**Her Choice**_

"She disappeared!"

"What happened?"

"Where did she go?"

The voices that cried out in surprise sounded like nothing more than static to Kurt.

She wasn't gone, at least not to those who had always been able to see those like her. He could see Annie and Jay moving quickly around her, their significant others were close behind. He had never been more grateful to the fact that Dahlia's family was here than he was now. It was obvious that they could still see her and they could see the internal struggle happening to her.

The light had gone out of her lavender eyes and, with a sudden gasp from her full lips, the color he had known so well had completely faded and all that he could see were a pair of dark brown eyes that were identical to Annie's. The soft sob that emerged from her pulled at his heartstrings as the woman he loved cried out to unseen forces.

"Please! Let me stay!" She cried, her voice was filled with an aching sadness that filled the air with a sorrowful tune. The melodic quality of her voice began to falter and all that remained was a softer sob. She reached out to touch his cheek, her fingers gently trailing down along his jawline before it fell away and her head slumped forward.

He caught her and he felt that she was becoming lighter... Much as she had that long ago spring day when he had first met her...

His heart nearly stopped at the thought that she was disappearing, this time for good. The Harvest Goddess of Flowerbud had awoken and now Li was fading back to wherever her reality lay. His hold on her tightened as he looked up at her family, his deep brown eyes begging. "She's disappearing... We have to do something! I can't lose her! I can't..." He glanced down at her and brushed away the copper brown waves from her brow.

Seeing the pain on her cousin's face, and hearing Kurt's pleading, had struck a cord with Annie. She looked at her husband and she could see the same thoughts reflected in his dark eyes. They had been in their positions and they understood the depth of what it was to be apart from a love so deep. They had lived it only for two months but it had been enough.

"She's a guardian just like Aunt Liz was," said Jay, his deep voice thick with what could be emotion. It seemed he understood as well, having lived apart from Elli when he and Annie had traveled back to their own reality. It had been painful and it was something that he didn't what Kurt or his cousin to have to experience. "The guardians of our reality have to be aware of what is going on." He motioned to Kurt to pick Li up. "We have to take her to the Goddess of our town. We have to make them see that Li can't be a guardian. She made her choice and she wants to stay. They can't take her choices away from her... Not if there's a way..."

A gentle hum was heard at that moment. A soft tune that seemed to float from the ocean waves and began to surround them in a soft embrace. A calm was felt throughout not only the group that surrounded the temporary Goddess, but also the town that had been witness to the event. The music continued and the townspeople were slowly turning and drifting away from the beach. The sound of the music from the wedding reception had began anew and laughter drifted down toward the beach. It was as if the townspeople had no recollection of what they had just been witness to.

The group of people who were aware of what had transpired could only stare in surprise as fireflies began to dance around them. The hum had then grown to a gentle singing for a few moments, a strangely familiar voice to Annie and Jay, before a chorus of voices had risen up as the waves crashed against the shore. The fireflies suddenly began to spin around them, surrounding the group in flurry of sparkling lights, before a flash of white blinded their eyes...

…

Annie slowly opened her eyes, pulling away from the protective embrace of Trent. She looked up at her husband, a part of her relieved that her love was all right, before she looked around to make sure that her family was ok. Jay and Elli were looking much as they were, Elli wrapped tightly in a protective embrace as Jay's hazel green eyes settled on his sister before before glancing around. Claire was with them, her light blue eyes slightly unfocused from the flash of light that they had all seen. Gray was beside her, an arm wrapped around her waist as he kept a weary eye on all that surrounded them.

Kurt didn't appeared as phased by the abrupt flash of light as the rest of the group had been. He seemed quite used to it after having experienced it so many times with Li. However, where they found themselves now was unlike any place anyone had ever been to. At least to most of them...

"Oh my god," Annie murmured as she pulled away from Trent. She moved forward a few steps and turned around, taking a good look at the forest that surrounded them. They were in a clearing that was filled with yellow and purple wild flowers. A single path led the way into the forest and shafts of ethereal sunlight streaked down through the canopy above. The forest seemed to have the same quality as those places that were sacred to the Harvest Goddesses. "This is forest by Aunt Liz's house..." She glanced back at her brother, her dark brown eyes filling with tears as she held a hand against her heart. "Jonathan, do you remember? This was where Aunt Liz took us when the weather was good. We always came here long walks..."

"Yeah," said Jay, glancing around the clearing with a confused look on his face. "I don't understand... How did we get here?"

"It's the one place your aunt had always been at peace."

The group turned around in surprise, catching sight of a middle-aged woman who was walking up the pathway. She had dark red waves that were pulled back into a braid that fell over one shoulder. She was a rather buxom woman with light tan skin and her clothing was that of a pair of gray slacks and an loose white blouse. She had stopped several feet in front of the group, her dark brown eyes focused on that of Annie and Jay.

Annie was the first to break the silence, her tears now spilling from her own dark brown eyes. "Aunt Maria..." Her voice wavered slightly as she took one step and then another before running at full speed and throwing her arms around the woman. "Auntie! I can't believe it!"

Aunt Maria laughed a little as she returned her niece's hug just as tightly and shook her from side to side. "Hi baby... It's so good to see you."

A pair of lean arms had wrapped around them and they looked up to see Jay had joined their group hug, his hazel green eyes sparkling with unshed tears. They hugged for a few moments as Annie continued to cry before their aunt finally pulled away from the embrace and studied her niece and nephew.

"What are you doing here _Tia_?" Annie asked as she hiccuped a little, wiping the tears from her flushed cheeks. "How did we get here? What's going on?"

Aunt Maria let loose a heavy sigh as she brushed Annie's dark brown curls away from her brow and shook her head. "You'll see sweetie... Right now, I have to see my daughter."

Annie and Jay, though still filled with questions, moved away from their aunt and looked to where Kurt was kneeled in the grass, an unconscious Dahlia safe in his arms. Aunt Maria walked past her niece and nephew and headed straight to the young man, her dark brown eyes never wavering from the form of her daughter. She kneeled beside Kurt and her lower lip trembled slightly as she studied her daughter. "My baby... She made her choice." She looked at Kurt then, her chest heaving slightly as she stared into Kurt's deep eyes. "Do you love my daughter? More than anything?"

Kurt felt his heart nearly drop as Li's mother stared at him with such intense emotion. This was her mother... He could see the resemblance, especially with the hair and the eyes. It seemed to be a common trait with the females of this family to have dark brown eyes. He still was surprised to find the lavender shade he had loved so much had darkened to this exact shade moments before Li had passed out.

He let out a shuddering breath as he gave a nod in reply, looking down at the woman in his arms and holding her close against his chest. "I love her with all that I am... I don't want to let her go." He glanced back at Li's mother, his deep eyes pleading. "I don't want to think about never having her in my life."

Maria was silent for a few moments, her dark brown eyes flicking between Kurt's, before she nodded and leaned down to press a gentle kiss upon her daughter's brow. At the contact, a flash of white light erupted and a single tear spilled down Maria's cheek. "Then she won't be." She pulled away from her daughter, the sight of the lavender teardrop and the etched markings of the Goddess now prominent on Li's forehead.

Maria wiped away the tears from under her eyes as she looked up, looking over Kurt's shoulder to the forest beyond. "I will take her place as guardian of our reality. Dahlia will remain as a temporary Goddess of yours. We shall watch over the link between our worlds as our predecessors have before us." She sighed and glanced down at her daughter's sleeping face. "She has made her choice and I have honored it. Do not tear her away from where she belongs."

Silence hung heavily before a gentle breeze rose up and the leaves in the trees and the flowers of the field began to sing a soft melody. _So it shall be... The Placement has been made and will be honored..._

Maria smiled at this as she glanced around at the forest and gave a single nod. She looked at Kurt and her smile grew a little more. "It is done. Take care of my baby girl Kurt. That's all I ask of you..."

Confusion was all that could be felt through the group that had born witness to this event. What had happened? Even Annie and Jay were befuddled and they were more familiar with the concepts of the guardians of their reality then the others.

"Yes!" A voice cried out, startling the group just as a familiar blonde in a black cloak rushed out from the forest and practically tackled Maria as she hugged the other woman. "I'm free! Finally! You have no idea how good it feels!" The Witch Princess pulled away from Maria, her smile as big as anyone had ever seen it. "You don't know the good you've done by taking her place."

She ignored the shocked looks of the group as she turned around, reaching a hand down to the ground and pulling a purple flower from the ground. She quickly pressed a kiss against its petals before releasing it into the air. It hung there for a moment before disappearing in a flash of white light.

She turned to look at Annie and Jay then, her smile was the most honest one the siblings had ever seen on her. "I know this is all so confusing but trust me when I say that everything is going to be so much better." She glanced at Maria and nodded. "Tell them. They need to know."

Maria waved the Witch Princess away as she slowly got back to her feet. "Don't rush me Lydia. I'm not Liz so don't expect me to be patient." She frowned at the witch before she turned her attention back to the couples who watched them with stunned and confused looks. She focused her gaze on her niece and nephew, the family members she had not seen for almost two years. Her smile was a sad one as she clasped her hands in front of her.

"Our family has always played a role as guardians of our reality. We are but one of many who are allowed the abilities to travel between worlds. There is one in every new generation that is meant to take the task. Of course, our family line has never been considered normal." She paused at this, a far off look in her eyes before she blinked and shook her head. "Your Aunt Liz and myself, we were the oddity in our reality. We both were chosen to take on the mantle as guardian from our family line but only one of us was needed. Liz decided to take that path. The idea of traveling to new and exciting worlds had always captivated her. She had no dreams of settling down and starting a family. I was the one who wanted that dream..."

"So you knew?" Annie asked, her hand clasped tightly within her husband's larger hand. "You knew all this time about our realities and where we were? Why didn't you tell us when we had been home?"

"We can't breathe a word of our existence to anyone, not even those who would know of us." Maria frowned as she glanced at her niece. "Our reality is slowly becoming one of those whose violence can spill out into others. It is our job as guardians to keep the peace, even if it means making sacrifices..."

"Like Aunt Liz..." Jay was thoughtful as he studied his cousin, who was sleeping peacefully in the arms of her fiancee. "Aunt Liz made that sacrifice when she decided to leave Gotz, even though they both could have been happy with one another." He looked at his aunt and his thoughtful look turned into a frown. "Annie and I were not one of the ones chosen as guardians. We would have known..."'

Maria smiled at her nephew as she nodded. "That was all of Liz's doing. She knew the two of you were meant for a reality outside of our own and she wanted you to be happy. No, if she hadn't decided it was best for the two of you cross into that reality, you would have never been the wiser. It was a good thing that Liz had so many of the other guardians in support of her decisions..."

The thought that neither Annie or Jay would have ever been in their reality if not for their Aunt Liz brought a very emotional response from their significant others. Trent was quick to pull Annie beside him, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to keep her from even straying far. Elli had taken a hold of her husband's hand and hugged his arm tightly, her brown eyes closing as she buried her face against his shoulder. The siblings responded in turn, drawing close to their loved ones as they drew comfort from each others' presence. Maria saw this and her smile was one of relief, seeing their love for herself made her feel better knowing that her own daughter's happiness was ensured.

After the moment of emotional silence, Kurt was the first to break it, his deep, soft spoken voice filled with slight awe. "Dahlia was the one who was chosen for this generation. She was meant to be a guardian like her Aunt Liz but instead that path was changed the moment our Harvest Goddess was turned to stone..."

Maria gave a nod. "That simple fact that my sister loved your reality, your village, your uncle... She made decisions that no guardian would have and brought joy to the people she loved. Since she could not have it herself..."

"So, what choice does Li have?" asked Claire, speaking for the first time since they first arrived in this clearing. "She wants to stay with Kurt and she deserves to be happy. There has to be something we can do to keep them together."

A tinkle of laughter surrounded them and the forest seemed to come alive as several figures walked out from amongst the trees. "It has already been done."

Everyone looked to find three Harvest Goddesses standing along the edge of the clearing, their ethereal dresses shimmering under the light of the sun. The first Goddess was a familiar face to most of the couples, being their own from Mineral Town. The second was a stranger and one whom Annie had seen only once before. She was not as tall as the Mineral Town Goddess and her color scheme leaned more toward lavender and purple hues. Her amethyst hair was braided in two long plaits away from her face and held by a pair of butterfly wings that were fluttering in time with the larger fairy-like wings that sprouted from her back. There was a very similar mark upon her brow that Li was now wearing, instead of being a teardrop it was a diamond. Swirls of lavender designs flowed across her brow and ended at her temples, just above a pair of deep amethyst eyes. Her dress was a strapless, floor length number that looked to be made from the petals of flowers. What looked to be green vines were wrapped around her upper arms and if one looked closely, they could see the same vines swirling about her bare feet.

Everything about this Goddess sang of pure nature and Kurt was the one to reveal the particular home of this Goddess. "You're awake..."

The Goddess of Flowerbud cast her eyes to the carpenter apprentice and her smile was a sweet one. "Yes, thanks to everyone who had believed in me. If it wasn't for Dahlia, I'm not sure if I would have awoken as quickly as I did. Robin and Jamie were quite keen on continuing her quest, to which I am eternally grateful."

The third Goddess, who had stood silently to the left of the Mineral Town Goddess, did not say a word. She was one no one had ever seen before, her color scheme resembled that of the different colored leaves of autumn. Her dark copper hair was worn in a long braid and fell over one shoulder, a couple of autumn leaves weaved in. Her eyes were a shade of garnet that matched well with her hair. Her own dress was an off the shoulder that was a deep shade of green with long flowing skirts that had a few purple grapes and golden, red and orange leaves weaved throughout. A deep red cloak hung at the hem of the shoulders, flowing down to mid-back. There was something familiar about this Goddess, but only to those who had known her in another life. The shape of her face, as well as the light tanned skin, were easily recognizable as features shared by the female family members that now stood there.

"Aunt Liz?" Annie was the first to place a name to this new Goddess, her dark brown eyes wide as she placed a hand over her beating heart.

The third Goddess glanced at the woman and her garnet eyes sparkled with familiar amusement that the family had seen many times before. She didn't say a word to them but her presence was enough and Annie let out a sob as she pulled away from her husband and ran, as she did before, to embrace her lost aunt. Jay was not far behind her, pulling both of them into his arms as he placed a kiss on his aunt's cheek. Maria was the last to join them and though there were tears in her eyes, the look on her face was knowing.

The sound of Annie's sobs was all that could be heard before Aunt Liz gently shushed her. "It's all right baby... I'm here. I'm real."

"Auntie..." The voice that now spoke was a new one and everyone looked to find the Li was stirring in Kurt's arms. She was struggling to get up and Kurt helped her to her feet, though he was very careful with her. It took a moment but Li began to walk toward her family on trembling feet, motioning to Kurt she would make it on her own. Her eyes, welling with tears, were now permanently a shade of lavender and the mark of the Goddess forever etched upon her brow. She stopped to lean against her mother, who wrapped a supportive arm around her and hugged her gently. Li smiled at her mother, whispered a gentle sorry and "I love you". She looked to her cousins, gave them a warm smile, before finally looking to her Aunt Liz.

They stared at one another before Li gave a gentle smile. "My wish..."

Aunt Liz smiled in turn and she laughed that familiar, choking laugh, though it was now more melodic in its quality. "The wish of a Harvest Goddess is very strong Li. One that isn't easily ignored by the Harvest King."

Li laughed a bit and the tears began to fall. "Remind me to thank him if we ever meet."

Liz's smile grew and she moved forward to pull her niece into a tight embrace. Her wish had given Aunt Liz a second chance at life, though in a most unexpected way.

Kurt understood this little exchange. The wish that he and Li had made on the beach when they had let the bamboo boat loose to the waves. Their wish had been that strong... He nearly jumped as the Goddess named Liz focused her gaze on him and gave a smile that reminded him so much of Li's.

"Thank you Kurt for loving my niece so much. You were willing to go down a path that I didn't know existed because of your love for her. If I had known..." She trailed off at that and shook her head as she sighed. "Well, it's in the past. We need to look to the future."

"So... what now?" Jay asked, his hazel green eyes looking around his family and then to the group who had watched the entire exchange. "What changes now?"

The Goddess of Mineral Town was the one to answer, her deep green eyes filled with happiness. "Now, you go home and enjoy your wedding reception. There's going to be a few changes but nothing that would be overly drastic to affect any of you."

Li was the first to catch on what the Mineral Town Goddess was hinting at and her smile became much bigger as she looked at Aunt Liz. "You're staying close?"

Liz smiled at her niece and nodded. "I want to meet my great niece and I want to meet the others that will come along." She sighed and a blush could be seen rising into her cheeks. "Besides, I have a carpenter who's been waiting long enough for me..."

Li let loose a giggle as she hugged her aunt. "Go get him Auntie."

The moment she pulled away, the Witch Princess was the first to break the touching moment in her usual fashion. "This is all lovely and sweet but let's get out of here! I have a new place to explore!" She disappeared in a flash of white light, the other Goddesses following after her.

The family that had finally been reunited after so long looked at one another with a slight sadness. Maria was going back to their old reality, her job as a guardian meant she wouldn't see much of her daughter or her niece and nephew. She hugged each of them, wishing them all the happiness in the world, before she moved to Kurt and giving him the biggest hug of all. "Take care of my baby."

Kurt was blushing at the display of emotion but he returned the hug. "I will Maria. I promise."

She said goodbye Trent, Elli, Claire and Gray respectively before giving her daughter a kiss upon her brow. "I'll see you soon _mija._"*

"All right Mama," said Li as she smiled at her mother before the older woman turned to her Liz and gave her younger sister a quick embrace and whispered words of love. Liz nodded to whatever Maria whispered and hugged her in turn before Maria disappeared in a flash of white light as well.

Aunt Liz let out a gentle sigh before she looked at the all of the couples with a smile. "Let's get you home then. There's a party you all need to finish and another wedding you need to prepare for." She smiled at Li and Kurt before raised a hand and in a flash of light, they all disappeared from the clearing...

* * *

_*mija- spanish slang short for mi hija which means "my daughter."_

_A/N- The story is almost complete I know it wasn't as in depth as SW but it feels good to have it come to a close. One more chapter should do it and I'll be moving on to Blueberry Skies. Thanks to RosyChickadee for always reviewing! You're the best ever!_


	16. The End

And so...

The Harvest Goddess of Flowerbud Village had been awakened from her slumber of stone...

A change was coming to the quaint little hamlet known as Mineral Town.

Their own Harvest Goddess, who had watched over the town for many years, was feeling the waters flowing in a different direction. It flowed toward the ocean, where several islands lay under an enchanted spell beneath the waves. There were other islands that had not fallen under this enchantment though, still lying beneath the bright rays of the sun. People were just beginning to call this place their home, having founded a town upon the main island's fertile land. They would need a guardian of their own and when it was time for the next generation's story to begin... Here the Harvest Goddess of Mineral Town would be there to offer guidance and help.

Of course, it was not going to be easy. After all, the Witch Princess was never too far behind her... And life would be dull without that blonde's constant presence... No, this would be another wonderful tale to come.

The Harvest Goddess wondered how it would play out. She hoped there would be as much romance and liveliness as there had been in Mineral Town. She was going to miss Annie and Jay though...

.oOo.

Kurt and Li's wedding was a small affair compared to that of her cousin's with only Annie, Jay, and their family and friends there. However, it wasn't any less meaningful. The moment they had exchanged their vows before the waves of the ocean that had granted their wish, and their kiss was fulfilled, a joyous song could be heard upon the sea breeze that blew through. Those who had been blessed with the knowledge of a world beyond those shores could only smile at the blessing.

Kurt and Li would be heading back to Flowerbud Village, to their own home. They would have a celebration there once they announced their union to their friends and Kurt's grandpa and brother. They had a lot more work to do to get the small village back to its former glory. Awakening the Harvest Goddess was just one small step in the right direction.

Li hoped that they would fair well. She wasn't quite a Harvest Goddess but she was never going to be fully human either with the powers that had been blessed to her by the Harvest King. She did well to help the village to remember its music and she would continue to do so, now that Kurt was by her side. With her cousins a ship ride away and her beloved aunt Liz close at hand within her own Goddess Pond, Li had high hopes for the future...

.oOo.

It was a strange moment when Gotz had found himself before the waterfall that fed the Goddess Pond. He did not come here anymore, not since Liz had left him. However, now that there was no chance in seeing her again, the hope that he had carried in his heart for so many years had finally died away. He had no where to look for comfort. His nephew was blissful in the happiness of his coming marriage to Liz's niece. They had beat the constraints that their different realities had placed upon them and had been given their happy ending.

Gotz should feel happy for them but he could not. Not when his own heart was aching for the love he had lost...

He could only stare at the wavering surface of the water as the sound of the waterfall as he held a few flowers in his large hand. He stared at the blossoms before throwing them toward the surface and watching them as they sank. He did not know what good it would do but if there was any chance that the Harvest Goddess could offer some ease to the ache in his soul. After all he had been witness to and believed, the Harvest Goddess should be able to help in some way...

There was a flash of bright, white light the moment the last of the flowers had submerged beneath the water. He closed his eyes against the brightness and a blessed silence fell around him. When he felt it was safe to look, he opened his eyes and found himself staring up at the floating form of a very beautiful woman. Her dark copper hair was braided in one long plait that floated about her form, several autumn leaves woven throughout them. The skirts of her deep green dress flowed in the same ethereal manner as her plait, giving her an angelic appearance. Her eyes were a quiet shade of garnet that were filled with some emotion that Gotz could not name. She was looking at him with such familiarity.

"Hello there, you had called me?"

The voice was achingly familiar to Gotz and now that he got a longer look at this Goddess, the facial features were so close...

The ache in his heart grew as he closed his eyes against the sight and fell to his knees along the shore of the pond. He buried his hands within his thick, dark brown hair and shook his head. "I can't stop seeing her everywhere. Even looking at you... Please, stop this heartache Goddess. I beg of you, I can't bear another day of never seeing her... Please, make me forget."

The silence that followed this request was not the blessed one from before. It was tense and the gentle gasp that the Goddess gave was an indication as to how serious such a request was. He did not look at her, he could not look at her if she looked so much like Liz. He didn't realize that she had stepped away from the pond and was now walking across the grassy shore toward the kneeling carpenter.

She kneeled down in the grass before him and reached out to pull his hands down away from his head. "You... would wish to forget?"

Gotz did not look at her but he gave a single nod. "I cannot bear the thought of living with the memory of Liz being gone. If I can forget..."

The Goddess pulled earnestly on his hands as she leaned in close, her garnet eyes filling with tears. "Look at me Gotz... Open your eyes and _look._"

The stressed urgency in that voice made the carpenter open his eyes in surprise and he found himself staring face to face with the Harvest Goddess. Her light tan skin was a familiar sight and her full lips were so close to his own. She took in breath and released one of his hands to gently touch his face. "I am here Gotz. I was given a chance, a blessing. Thanks to my wonderful niece, I was blessed to be here. I am _here." _She was trying not to cry as she reached out to throw her arms around his neck. "Please don't ask me to make you forget. I can't!"

"Li-Lizzie?" Gotz was stunned as this beautiful Goddess hugged him close and pleaded to him to not forget her. A moment passed and then another before the realization that his Liz was here, alive and as a Harvest Goddess. He let out a choked sob as he gathered her in his arms and hugged her close, burying his face within her hair. "How? When? Oh it doesn't matter... You're here. Lizzie... My Lizzie."

"I'm here Gotz and I am not leaving you. I'll always be here with you."

He pulled away slightly from her and captured her lips in his own, kissing her deeply. The ache in his heart had finally disappeared as those familiar lips responded earnestly to his own. He wasn't sure how this had happened or why but he was not going to question the blessed gift he had been given. Even if she was a Goddess, Lizzie was finally here with him where she belonged...

.oOo.

"They do look well together," said a female voice that was sighing in a dreamy manner.

"Yes, they do." Another voice responded in turn, this one male and filled with reluctant happiness at the sight. He cleared his throat after a moment and looked at the copper haired woman beside him. "We have to leave soon, our boat will be sailing."

Li glanced over at Kurt and she smiled, her lavender eyes filled with happiness. "Home... I can't wait to be home. I wonder how many more people have moved in?"

Kurt laughed gently as he took his wife's hand and started walking up the path that led to Claire's farm. Li followed after him. "I'm sure a few... As long as I can still have my peace and quiet by your pond I don't mind the work."

"Hm," Li hummed in reply as they walked slowly through the farm and toward the town. "Things will be better. It'll take time but we'll get there and we'll be sure no one forgets the Goddess this time."

"I doubt they will with you around to constantly remind them," said Kurt as he smiled at her. "I can only imagine how Robin and Jamie are going to take to the task."

"Oh goddess," Li said as she stopped in surprise, her face taking on a pale hue. "Robin. She's going to kill me when she finds out that we got married without her there."

Kurt glanced back at his wife and he could only chuckle at the stricken look upon her face. "Well, we'll just have to have another wedding at the village..."

Li opened her mouth to respond but then closed it as she realized that was what Robin would want to have. She would want to be the maid of honor and the village would like to celebrate a wedding...

"C'mon Li, let's go home."

Li smiled at her husband and gave a nod as the walked up the brick road that led to the town square and to where their journey home awaited...

_~Fin_

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_(A/n) There we are, the last chapter. I had this poor story hanging for months and never finished it. So there, thank you all for sharing this journey with me._


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